Rare camera trap footage captures ‘Lord of the Tien Shan’ on a walk

A camera trap in the Almaty State Nature Reserve has captured rare footage of Tien Shan brown bears in their natural habitat. The video was released by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

«These unique moments provide a glimpse into the natural lives of brown bears, offering insight into their behavior and habits in the wild,» the ministry said.

A rare subspecies

The Tien Shan brown bear is a rare subspecies of the brown bear. It is listed in both Kazakhstan’s Red Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Adult Tien Shan brown bears are relatively small, measuring 1.5 to 2.2 meters in length and weighing between 135 and 200 kilograms. Exceptionally large individuals have also been recorded.

One of the subspecies’ most distinctive characteristics is its long, light-colored claws on its front paws.

Diet and behavior

The Tien Shan brown bear is omnivorous, feeding on grasses, rhizomes, bulbs, fruits and berries. It also preys on small mammals such as marmots and pikas and will scavenge carrion when available.

Females give birth during the winter while denning, typically producing one or two cubs.

Посмотреть в Threads

Summer activity

During the summer, Tien Shan brown bears are highly active as they recover from the winter and build up fat reserves for the colder months.

They typically forage during the cool hours of early morning and late evening. In summer, the bears are most commonly found near rivers and lakes, in dense forests and alpine meadows. During hot weather, they seek shade and cooler areas, often resting near streams and riverbanks.