#dioramas

With September underway, let’s take a look at a timely diorama in the Hall of North American Mammals for today’s Exhibit of the Day. The scene takes place on a September morning in Yellowstone National Park, and this mother grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) is showing her six-month-olds how to tear open a rotted pine to find ants and grubs to eat. You’d be wise to avoid stumbling upon this scene in the wild. Grizzly bears are unpredictable and may become aggressive if interrupted while eating or tending cubs. Did you know? The nickname “grizzly” comes from the grizzled, or silver-tipped, hairs on their backs and shoulders.