Everyone is aware that bears are absolutely massive creatures
However, many people don’t know how much some species of bear can weigh
There are many factors that determine the weight of a bear, but most bears average between 250 and 500 pounds at maturity This amount can vary depending on the season and whether or not the bear is a bear is pregnant or preparing for hibernation
However, some bears weigh much more or much less than this average
Some smaller species, such as the sun bear, usually do not weigh more than 100 kilograms
However, some larger species can easily exceed 1,000 pounds, such as the polar bear
Below, we’ve highlighted 10 types of bears and their weights to give you a better idea of the size of these creatures
10 examples of adult bear weights, what determines a bear’s weight? Largest Bears Ever Recorded Heaviest Black Bear Heaviest Grizzly Bear Heaviest Kodiak Bear Heaviest Polar Bear
10 examples of adult bear weights
Bear type
Bear of the sun
Lazy bear
Panda bear
Asiatic black bear
Andean bear
American black bear
Brown bear
Grizzly bear
Kodiak bear
Polar bear
What determines the weight of a bear?
Although it is possible to report a wide range for bear weight, it is not a range that would be suitable for all bear types throughout the year
There are several different factors that affect a bear’s weight, all of which must be considered when determining how much a bear weighs or what its potential weight is
Species – The biggest determinant of bear weight is the species of bear
The dimensions of bear species vary a lot, so this has a big impact on the total weight of the bear
Smaller species, which don’t need to be big and strong, typically weigh well under 300 kilograms, but can in some cases weigh as little as 100 kilograms
Larger species that need extra size to hunt or extra skin and fat to stay warm can weigh well over 500 pounds, with some species approaching or exceeding 1,000 pounds
Age – Age, of course, determines how big a bear is
Most bear cubs are born weighing around 1 kilo, but quickly start growing and gaining weight from there
Young bears usually still weigh less than 100 pounds and really start to put on weight as they approach maturity
As bears get older and can no longer hunt as successfully, they may begin to lose weight; but usually nothing too radical
Season – A bear’s weight varies throughout the year, largely due to the fact that they hibernate
In the summer, bears feed themselves with carbohydrate-rich berries and other food to gain weight
Bears can gain weight of up to 30 kilos per week during the fill!
This can cause the bear to weigh several hundred pounds more just before hibernation
In addition, after the mating season, female bears gain several hundred kilograms if they have become pregnant
Female polar bears can double their weight during pregnancy!
The largest bears ever recorded
While most bears will grow around the weights listed in the table above, there will be some exceptions
Over the years, some absolutely massive bears have been spotted, weighing significantly more than the average weight of their species
The heaviest black bear
In 1976, a male American black bear was hunted in New Brunswick
It weighed 902 kilograms after dressing, which means its estimated live weight was around 1,100 kilograms
It measured 79 feet from tail to nose, which is quite a length for a black bear
The heaviest Grizzly Bear
The largest grizzly bear ever hunted was in 2014 at Lone Mountain, Alaska
This specimen was about 9 feet long and was estimated to weigh over 1,600 pounds
A much larger skull was found much earlier in 1976 and may have belonged to a bear that weighed more than the Lone Mountain grizzly’s estimated 1,600 pounds
The heaviest Kodiak bear
A domestic bear named Clyde at the Dakota Zoo weighed 2,130 pounds when he died in 1987
Zookeepers estimate that Clyde actually weighed about 2,400 pounds a year earlier when he was healthier
However, at the time of his death, Clyde had a 9-inch layer of fat, which meant that he was quite heavy for his size
The heaviest polar bear
The largest polar bear ever recorded, and later the largest bear ever recorded, was a 2,209-pound male hunted in 1960 in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska
This weight is twice what polar bears typically weigh, making this an insane specimen
Standing on its hind legs, this bear could stand over 11 feet tall