The Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) is a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) family.
They live on the islands of the Kodiak archipelago in southwest Alaska.
They resemble grizzly bears, but are significantly larger.
Here are 15 amazing Kodiak moon facts.
Kodiak Bear Facts
1. The Kodiak bear is the world’s largest brown bear
The Kodiak bear is the largest known subspecies or population of the brown bear.
In addition, it is one of the two largest bear species alive today, along with the mighty polar bear.
Females (sows) can weigh between 181 and 318 kg (399 and 701 lb), and males (boars) between 272 and 635 kg (600 and 1,400 lb).
The largest recorded wild male Kodiak bear weighed 751 kg (1,656 lb) and is on display at Anchorage Airport in Alaska.
Captive bears can get heavier: the largest confirmed size for a captive Kodiak bear was for a male specimen nicknamed “Clyde” who lived at the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota.
The giant bear weighed 966 kg (2,130 lb) when he died in June 1987 at the age of 22.
When standing fully erect on its hind legs, a large male can reach a height of 3 meters (9.8 ft).
Largest Kodiak Bear Ever Recorded: Brown Bear at Anchorage Airport
The largest Kodiak Bear ever recorded is a famous 1,700 lb (771 kg) world record brown bear on display at Alaska’s Anchorage Airport.
It is also the largest brown bear ever recorded.
World Record Kodiak Bear – The famous 1,700 lb (771 kg) world record brown bear on display at Alaska’s Anchorage Airport.
Standing nearly 10 feet (3.05 meters) tall on its hind legs, it is the largest brown bear ever recorded.
Related: 20 Surprising Facts About Polar Bears
Because of their dependence on sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals rather than land mammals.
This classification makes the Kodiak bear the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world.
3. Kodiak bears are very close relatives of grizzly bears
Some experts don’t consider them to be a distinct species—according to them, Kodiak bears are grizzly bears that live on Kodiak Island.
Some scientists, on the other hand, believe that Kodiak bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) and grizzlies (Ursus arctos horribilis) are part of the same species of brown bear, although they are different enough to form two subspecies.
The main difference is where they live.
Kodiak’s range is limited to the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska.
Grizzly bears are more common; They are commonly found in the interior of Canada’s Northwest Territories, Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta, and in the US states of Alaska, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and Idaho.
In general, Kodiak bears live in food-rich areas, have larger bone structures, and therefore larger frames than grizzly bears, although both species can grow to very large sizes.
There are also no conflicts between Kodiak bears and inland grizzlies.
The Kodiak Bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) is the largest brown bear on Earth.
It rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family.
Although Kodiak bears and Grizzly bears are closely related, they are different subspecies.
4. They are also relatives of the Asiatic brown bear
Genetic analyzes show that the Kodiak bear is related to brown bears in both the Alaskan Peninsula and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia.
The Kamchatka brown bear is almost as big as the Kodiak bear.
However, the analysis also suggests that Kodiak bears have been genetically isolated since the last ice age, at least 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.
Map of the Kodiak Archipelago where Kodiak bears live.
By USGS – USGS, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link During the last ice age, Kodiak bears were less geographically isolated than they are today.
Related: 10 Surprising Kamchatka Brown Bear Facts
5. Kodiak bears can come in many different colors
Kodiak bears have hair colors ranging from blond to orange to dark brown.
6. They live up to 25 years
The oldest male (boar) recorded in the wild was 27 years old, and the oldest female (pig) was 35 years old.
They reach sexual maturity at about 5 years of age, but most females (seeds) are over 9 years old when they successfully give birth.
Cubs leave their mothers at around 3-5 years of age, but their survival rate is not great: only 56% of males and 89% of females survive.
However, because they live in a relatively small and isolated area, they can form large dense groups in food-rich areas.
Because of this, they are more social than other bears, and according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, they have developed a complex language and social structure to express their feelings and avoid fights.
Kodiak bears are usually diurnal, meaning they are active during the day.
9. Kodiak bears are omnivores
Despite its massive size and reputation as a ferocious predator, the Kodiak bear is generally opportunistic and will eat a wide variety of plants and animals.
They are not as territorial as grizzlies
Despite their enormous size, Kodiak bears are not very territorial and typically do not defend their territory as aggressively as grizzly bears.
They live in a small area, so their territories overlap and
Where they live, food is plentiful.
Related: 20 Surprising Grizzly Bear Facts
Kodiak bear populations are healthy and productive
However, potential threats still exist: the effects of global warming on salmon populations, the bears’ main source of protein and fat, energy development projects and related road construction, and increased human activity in the area, which increases the likelihood of human deaths. Bear conflicts are the main threats.
Furthermore, although the current population is healthy and productive and shows no obvious negative signs of inbreeding, there is very little genetic diversity within the Kodiak bear population.
This can make their population more vulnerable to new diseases or parasites than other, more diverse brown bear populations.
Mother Kodiak bear with three cubs.
Kodiak bears begin entering their dens in late October.
Pregnant sows are usually the first to go to nests; men are last.
Males begin to emerge from their nests in early April, and sows with new young can remain in nests until the end of June.
People living on the northern tip of Kodiak Island have longer pit periods.
Most Kodiak bears dig their dens in hills or mountain slopes.
Almost 25 percent of adult bears, almost always males, remain somewhat active throughout the winter and refrain from biting.
Kodiak Bear’s paws are huge!
An average-sized individual, a 700-pound (318 kg) Kodiak bear, can have a front paw that is 13 inches (33 cm) wide.
There was a famous Kodiak bear named “Bart the Bear”.
Bart the bear was a giant male Kodiak bear.
Bart was trained by animal trainers Doug and Lynne Seus of Wasatch Rocky Mountain Wildlife, Inc. in Heber City, Utah.
Bart the Bear with trainer Doug Seuss.
Bart the Bear’s Legacy Bart the Bear™ was a giant Kodiak bear born in 1977 at a zoo, adopted by Doug and Lynne Seuss and trained to appear in movies.
This video is a tribute to Bart, the Seuses, and The Vital Ground Foundation, a conservation nonprofit they created to protect habitat for wild grizzlies.
Since its founding in 1990, Vital Ground has helped improve, restore and protect 600,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia.
Usually, Kodiak bears do not attack people
Kodiak bears usually try to avoid human encounters.
Only one person has been killed by a bear on Kodiak Island in the last 100 years – in 1999, and he was a bear hunter.
On average, a bear injures a person once a year.
Moon watching is a popular tourist activity
If some bears avoid these areas because of humans, these bears will not be able to get the fat and protein they need to get through the coming winter.
“As a result, unmanaged bear sightings can affect several bears, especially fertile hens with cubs.”
In recent years, bear watching on Kodiak Island and other parts of Alaska has become increasingly popular.
In recent years, bear watching on Kodiak Island and other parts of Alaska has become increasingly popular.
Image source: Deposit Photos
Image source: Deposit Photos
Kodiak moon on Wikipedia
Kodiak Bear Fact Sheet on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website
Kodiak Bear facts and more at the Biology Dictionary website
Kodiak bear on the Bear Conversation website
Bart the Bear on Wikipedia