Bear JJ1 (2004 – 26 June 2006) was a brown bear whose travels and exploits in Austria and Germany in the first half of 2006 drew international attention. JJ1, also known as Bruno in the German press (some newspapers also gave the bear different names, such as Beppo or Petzi), is believed to have been the first brown bear on German soil in 170 years.
Previously, the last sighting of a bear in what is now Germany was recorded in 1838 when hunters shot a bear in Bavaria. Initially heralded as a welcome visitor and a symbol of the success of endangered species reintroduction programs, his dietary preferences for sheep, chickens, and beehives led government officials to believe that he could become a threat to humans, and they ordered that he be shot or captured.
Public objection to the destruction order resulted in its revision, and the German government tried to use non-lethal means to sedate and capture the bear.
JJ1 was described as bloodthirsty, clever, and fast. Bavarian minister-president Edmund Stoiber referred to him as a Problembär ("problem bear"). Farmers claimed the bear "enjoyed killing," because he typically killed sheep without eating them. This behavior, called surplus killing, common among predators, was construed as being caused by interaction with people.
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous, and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous with varied diets.
With the exception of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They are generally diurnal, but may be active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular), particularly around humans. Bears possess an excellent sense of smell and, despite their heavy build and awkward gait, are adept runners, climbers, and swimmers. In autumn, some bear species forage large amounts of fermented fruits, which affects their behaviour. Bears use shelters, such as caves and burrows, as their dens; most species occupy their dens during the winter for a long period (up to 100 days) of sleep similar to hibernation.
Bear is a natural horror Z movie directed by John Rebel and stars Patrick Scott Lewis and Katie Lowes. The film was released on June 4, 2010 in the United Kingdom.
Businessman Sam, his wife Liz and his musician brother Nick with his girlfriend Christine are driving through a remote countryside to their father's birthday dinner. Several miles into a back road shortcut, they get a flat tire and are unable to get a cell phone signal to call for help. While repairing the tire, Sam berates Nick for wasting his life being a musician, his latest fling with Christine being another mistake on his judgement list. As they are arguing, they are approached by a grizzly bear. Despite Nick's efforts to convince the group to calmly leave, Sam takes matters into his own hands and shoots the bear down with a handgun. After the bear dies, they are approached by a larger male bear who charges them in revenge, causing them to retreat into their minivan. In his rage, the bear overturns the minivan, trapping the humans inside. After striding around for several minutes, the bear leaves, allowing the crew to turn the minivan over. But as they start driving, the axles break under both sets of tires, stranding them again. The group tries to leave on foot, but they are ambushed by the bear who chases them to an out-of-ground pipe. He tricks them into leaving for the minivan and attacks again; this time he is able to catch Christine who is killed while the others watch.
Bear is a surname which may refer to: