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Teddy Bear 74/114 Puzzle in a Puzzle Mystery Cache

Hidden : 11/27/2024
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Ussuri Brown Bear

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussuri_brown_bear

The Ussuri brown bear (Ursus arctos lasiotus), also known as the Ezo brown bear, Russian grizzly bear, or the black grizzly bear,  is a subspecies of the brown bear or a population of the Eurasian brown bear(U. a. arctos). One of the largest brown bears, a very large Ussuri brown bear may approach the Kodiak bear in size. It is not to be confused with the North American grizzly bear.

Distribution

The Ussuri brown bear is found in the Ussuri KraiSakhalin, the Amur Oblast, the Shantar IslandsIturup Island, and Kunashir Island in Siberia, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Hokkaidō in Japan. Until the 13th century, bears inhabited the islands of Rebun and Rishiri, having crossed the La Pérouse Strait to reach them. They were also present on Honshu during the last glacial period, but were possibly driven to extinction either by competing with Asian black bears or by habitat loss due to climate change. There have been several hypotheses regarding the crossing of Blakiston's Line by brown bears; there could be three genetic groups, distinct for at least 3 million years which reached to Hokkaido via Honshu at different times, or brown bears from Hokkaido reached to Honshu. About 500–1,500 Ussuri brown bears are present in Heilongjiang, and are classed as a vulnerable population. In Korea, a few of these bears still exist only in the North, where this bear is officially recognized as a natural monument by its government. Traditionally called ku'n gom (big bear), whereas black bears are called gom (bear), the Ussuri brown bear became extinct many years ago in South Korea largely due to poaching. In North Korea, the two major areas of brown bear population include Ja Gang Province and the Ham Kyo'ng Mountains. The ones from JaGang are called "RyongLim ku'n gom" (RyongLim big bear) and they are listed as Natural Monument No.124 of North Korea. The others from Hamkyo'ng Mountains are called GwanMoBong Ku'n Gom (GwanMo Peak big bear) and they are listed as Natural Monument No.330 of North Korea. All big bears (Ussuri brown bears) in North Korea are mostly found around the peak areas of mountains. Their average size varies from 150 kg to 250 kg for Ryonglim bears found in the area south of Injeba'k Mountain, up to 600 kg for the ones found in the area north of Injeba'k Mountain.

Habitat

Forests, mountainous regions and coastal areas.

Description

It is very similar to the Kamchatka brown bear, though it has a more-elongated skull, a less-elevated forehead, somewhat-longer nasal bones and less-separated zygomatic arches, and is somewhat darker in color, with some individuals being completely black, which once led to the now-refuted speculation that black individuals were hybrids of brown bears and Asian black bears. Adult males have skulls measuring on average 38.7 cm (15.2 in) long and 23.5 cm (9.3 in) wide. They can occasionally reach greater sizes than their Kamchatkan counterparts; the largest skull measured by Sergej Ognew (1931) was only slightly smaller than that of the largest Kodiak bear (the largest subspecies of brown bears) on record at the time.

Size

The largest subspecies of brown bears.  N39 43.570 W080 14.659

Diet

Although the diet of an Ussuri brown bear is mainly vegetarian, being a large predator it is able to kill any prey in its habitat. In middle Sakhalin in spring, brown bears feed on the previous year's red bilberryants, and flotsam, and at the end of the season, they concentrate on the shoots and rhizomes of tall grasses. On the southern part of the island, they feed primarily on flotsam, as well as insects and maple twigs. In springtime in Sikhote Alin, they feed on acorns, Manchurian walnuts, and Korean nut pine seeds. In times of scarcity, in addition to bilberries and nuts, they feed on larvae, wood-boring ants, and lily roots. In early summer, they strip bark from white-barked fir trees and feed on the cambium and sap. They also eat berries from honeysuckleyewAmur grape, and buckthorn. In southern Sakhalin, their summer diet consists of currants and chokeberries. In August on the middle part of the island, fish comprise 28% of their diet.

In Hokkaido, the brown bears' diet includes small and large mammals, fish, birds, and insects such as ants. 

Hibernation

These bears will den in burrows carved into hillsides. Ussuri brown bears den mostly in burrows excavated into hillsides, though they, on rare occasions, den in rock outcroppings or build ground nests.

Reproduction and development

Females birth up to 4 cubs (but usually only up to 3) during hibernation. The cubs are born altricial(blind and helpless) and spend the winter months nursing and growing.

 

DO NOT GO TO THE POSTED CORDS. YOU WILL NOT FIND THE CACHE THERE. YOU NEED TO SOLVE FOR THE CORRECT CORDS.

Please remember you are in Greene County, PA and satellite service is not the best. So, plan accordingly to have a good caching experience.

****Please be cautious when doing these caches as they are hidden along busy highways. Caches are kid friendly but hides are not necessarily kid friendly. Caution is highly suggested. ****

 

Light me up to see what the correct cords are.

 

You can only search for this cache from dawn to dusk. NO NIGHT CACHING.

 

REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR PUZZLE PIECE FROM THE CHECKER.

You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ba gbc bs fgbarf/oehfu

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)