Hello, everyone! It is my honor to introduce you to the newest article of The Trumpet, that being our very own Animal of The Month column!

Through this column, we hope to shine a light on some animals either chosen by our staff or you, the reader. If you would like to suggest an animal to get their own Animal of the Month article, please email us at [email protected] with your suggestion.

And without further ado let’s introduce this month’s Animal of the Month, the Brown Bear!

The Brown Bear (or Ursus arctos for all you nerds out there) is famous for being the most widespread bear on the planet, being found not only in North America and Canada, but even parts of Asia and Russia.

Being omnivorous, they aren’t picky eaters and will eat just about everything they can get their paws on.

Now, here comes the hardest part for all you bear fans:

• Just because they’re friend shaped, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are friendly. They shouldn’t be underestimated unless you want to be on the receiving end of their 751 newton bite.

This last piece of advice goes out for all you Zoo Sciers out there who love running around the woods:

• If you are to ever come across a Brown Bear while out and about, just remember this helpful mantra: “if it’s brown, stay down; if it’s black, fight back.” This method works due to the stereotypical defensive nature of brown bears. They won’t view you as a threat if you make yourself as docile as possible.

That’s all for this month’s edition of Animal of the Month!