9 biggest bears

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Bears are considered one of the largest mammals on the planet. By the way, they are not deprived of intelligence (their type of thinking is very similar to that of a human). Many varieties of clubfoot bears occupy a significant range and are found on most continents. Which of them can rightfully be called the monster in size? Here are the largest bearish representatives in the world.

The largest bears on our planet: top 7 most formidable representatives of the animal world

Nomination	a place	Name of product	WEIGHT	Growth
Top 7 largest bears on the planet	7	Syrian brown bear	250 kg.	150 CM.
	6	Kermod ('ghost bear')	300 KG.	180 CM.
	5	Baribal	350 KG.	200 CM.
	4	Grizzly	450 KG.	220 CM.
	3	Brown (Siberian) bear	500 KG.	260 CM.
	2	Kodiak	800 KG.	280 CM.
	1	Polar bear	1,000 KG.	300 CM.
Bonus: the largest bears in the history of mankind	2	Giant polar bear	1 200 KG.	400 CM.
	1	Giant short-faced bear	1 400 KG.	450 cm.

Syrian brown bear

Rating: 4.4

1. Weight: 250 kg
2. Height: 1.5 m

A separate species of brown bear that lives exclusively in the highlands of the Middle East (Syria, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq). It is considered the smallest and lightest of brown bears. It is a very beautiful animal with long, thick, coffee-and-milk-colored hair. Unfortunately, the bear belongs to an endangered species: according to scientists, no more than 150 individuals of this type live on our planet today. The last reliable records of Syrian brown bears are in 1995.

Interesting fact. The most famous Syrian representative of the clubfoot is considered to be a bear named Voytek. The 'Soldier Bear' was found on the territory of Iran and taken as a living by the Polish soldiers. According to legend, during the battles in Italy, he helped the artillerymen to unload ammunition and bring shells. After demobilization, he was sent to Edinburgh Zoo, where he lived until the end of his days, being a favorite of the public. Weighing 250 kg, Wojtek's height was 1.8 m.

Kermod ('ghost bear')

Rating: 4.5

1. Weight: 300KG
2. Height: 1.8 m

This subspecies of the American black bear, which lives in the forests of British Columbia, is not known to the general public, but we could not fail to include it in our rating. About 10% of the population of this species has white hair. But these are not albinos, as some mistakenly believe: they have a dark nose and this indicates that Kermodes do not have genetic abnormalities. The polar black bear (no matter how paradoxical it may sound) is a rare species revered by local Indians, which they call the 'ghost bear'.

It is noteworthy that white specimens are born in black bears – this is possible thanks to the recessive alleles of the gene responsible for the white color. The probability of birth of a polar bear in classic black American bears is 1: 4. On mainland British Columbia, white is found in one in 100 animals.

Interesting fact. In the late 18th century, European fur traders launched an extensive campaign to purchase black bear skins, and local hunters eagerly began to supply the goods. But even then, white kermode was banned: the taboo on hunting a 'ghost' had been carried through generations. This ancient protective measure has proven to be very effective. Perhaps thanks to her, local tribes managed to keep the very existence of the beast a secret for a long time.

Baribal

Rating: 4.6

1. Weight: up to 350 kg
2. Height: 1.4-2 m

This bearish representative is considered the third largest among its kind in North America. The geography of distribution of the species is from the territory of Alaska to Canada. Adults, reaching 2 meters in length, have a thick, pitch-black coat and a slightly pointed muzzle. The baribal's diet is predominantly vegetable, the bear also loves insects, and during the spawning period of salmon it switches to a fish diet. But it can also attack livestock. Due to the lack of fat and protein in the diet, baribal often looks at landfills in search of food waste.

The main difference between a baribal and a brown bear is in size (it is smaller) and fur – it is black and sleek. One of the rare species of baribal, along with kermode, is the blue or so-called 'glacial bear' that lives in southeastern Alaska.

Interesting fact. Baribal is a bear that does not hibernate.

Despite its rather frightening dimensions and claws, the baribal is a harmless beast (much more good-natured than its brown relative). Even when wounded, he will prefer flight over attack. Although the bear looks rather clumsy, it is agile, strong and very hardy: the baribal runs fast, swims and climbs trees perfectly. By the way, its creepy claws are designed specifically for tree climbing.

Grizzly

Rating: 4.7

1. Weight: 400-450 kg
2. Height: 2-2.2 m

This type of brown bear is widely known all over the world, primarily because of its far from the most harmless nature: cases of attacks on people are not uncommon, but we are mainly talking about curious tourists. Representatives of this subspecies can often be found on the coast of small bodies of water – rivers, lakes, even streams. And all because the grizzly is a big lover of fish, which is the basis of his diet.

Conditionally, grizzlies can be divided into 2 groups: seaside and forest. The former are distinguished by a more powerful constitution and endurance (average weight exceeds 450 kg), the basis of the diet is salmon fish. The latter are of a more elegant appearance (the maximum recorded weight is 408 kg), they feed mainly on plant food and carrion. Seaside bears avoid people, forest bears let them get close enough.

Interesting fact. Grizzlies are considered dangerous and aggressive animals. This erroneous opinion was formed a very long time ago and, unfortunately, has spread widely among the population and even power structures. For many years, the animal was massacred by people in order to protect themselves and livestock. Today, the grizzly bear is under federal protection and lives in the US national parks.

Brown (Siberian) bear

Rating: 4.8

1. Weight: 400-500 kg (individual copies – over 700 kg)
2. Height: up to 2.6 m

This formidable representative of the bear world lives in the Russian expanses from Karelia to Chukotka, and is also found in China. The giant is distinguished by its enormous size and remarkable power: thanks to its incredible physical strength and impressive claws (up to 10 cm long), it effortlessly pulls stumps out of the ground, tears bark from trees, sometimes even gets to hunting winter quarters, tearing out doors.

The Siberian bear is a long-liver – most representatives of this species live up to 30 years. To a large extent, this is facilitated by the natural characteristics of the animal's habitat: a short, not the most severe winter and an abundance of food acceptable for a bear. Speaking of the latter, the brown bear prefers to eat taiga berries, meat, fish, often ruins bee hives, which it successfully finds thanks to the finest scent from a distance of up to 8 km. During periods of famine, the beast is quite often found within settlements, where it wanders in search of food thrown out by people.

Interesting fact. Brown bears are considered to be quite intelligent and very careful animals. They often take bait from hunting traps, neutralizing them with sticks and stones.

Kodiak

Rating: 4.9

1. Weight: up to 800 kg
2. Height: up to 2.8 m

Kodiak is the largest subspecies of the brown bear. It is considered endangered. It lives exclusively in the coastal zone of Alaska, in the Kodiak archipelago. Like any other brown bear, the Kodiak has a typical for the species, powerful physique, differs in usual behavior. Juveniles are born during hibernation. The cubs are with their mother until the age of 3, until she stops feeding them, and her hormonal changes begin immediately. They also lead to a change in character: the bear begins to bite children and growl at them, driving them away.

Interesting fact. An unusual feature of the Kodiak is his fear of man. Despite its incredible size, this huge beast is afraid of people to a shiver, and after meeting them it can even become depressed. Because of this, the animal does not gain enough weight for a successful winter hibernation and simply does not experience it. For this reason, the representative of the bear is under federal protection (by the way, hunters also played an important role, significantly reducing the population of Kodiaks).

Polar bear

Rating: 5.0

1. Weight: up to 1000 kg
2. Height: up to 3 m

The largest bear carnivore in the world. The polar bear is a resident of the Arctic Russian latitudes; it is also found in Canada and Norway. Differs in curious disposition, endurance, good nature. White bears (by the way, they are meat-eaters) are considered excellent hunters: they easily get their food not only for sea inhabitants, but also for land animals (for example, polar fox). Polar bears do not show aggression towards humans. If this happens, it is often the person himself who is to blame. The animal shows exclusively curiosity, driven by which, it can come close.

The number of white representatives of the bear world living in Russia is decreasing at a rapid pace: today their population does not exceed 8000 individuals. The reason for the top is active poaching. Although officially hunting polar bears is prohibited, this does not stop poachers, and it is quite difficult to regulate the situation in the vast and sparsely populated northern expanses of the country.

Bonus: the largest bears in the history of mankind

Giant polar bear

Rating: 4.9

1. Weight: up to 1200 kg
2. Height: up to 4 m

An extinct subspecies of the polar bear. According to research by scientists, it occupied an intermediate position between modern white and brown. He hunted exclusively for large mammals. Due to a sharp reduction in food acceptable for a predator, it became extinct by the end of the glaciation period. The only specimen of an ulna from a giant polar bear was found in archaeological excavations in what is now Britain.

Giant short-faced bear

Rating: 5.0

1. Weight: up to 1 400 kg
2. Height: up to 4.5 m

A few years ago, it was the giant white bear that was considered the most terrible bear in the history of our planet. But everything changed after paleontologists from East Tennessee drew attention to the bones of a bear, literally gathering dust in one of the Argentine museums.

In addition to a short snout, the giant had many unusual anatomical features that distinguish it from its modern counterparts. For example, his fangs were characterized by a multidirectional structure (like a tiger). In combination with the incredibly developed jaw muscles, the bite of a short-faced bear can be safely called damn powerful. By the way, the cranial proportions make this animal more similar to the representatives of the feline than to the large bear species. High limbs like a bear indicate that the beast was faster than modern bears.

---

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.