The biggest bears in the world

Here are the 10 largest bears in the world, with their size and weight listed. The largest bear breeds found around the world.

10. Sloth bear

Sloth bearWeight - up to 140 kg, body length - up to 180 cm.

Despite its small size, compared to other largest bears in the world, the sloth bear can be very dangerous.

It was this beast that terrorized the outskirts of Bangalore for a long time, killing and maiming people. It was among the most terrible man-eating animals in history.

9. Spectacled bear

Spectacled bearWeight - up to 140 kg, length - up to 2 meters.

This "intelligent bear" got its name because the rings around its eyes resemble glasses.

Although this animal is considered a predator, meat makes up about 5 percent of its diet. The rest is grass shoots, rhizomes, and fruits. Spectacled bears also like to eat termites and ants. Fortunately, their long tongue easily penetrates into the ant nest.

8. Giant Panda

Giant PandaWeight - up to 160 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.

One of the cutest animals in the world also belongs to the bear family. But, unlike other bears, the panda prefers a vegetarian menu, 99% of which consists of bamboo. However, on occasion, the panda will not disdain a small animal, a bird's egg or insects.

For a long time, scientists argued about which family to classify the panda in - the bear or the raccoon. However, at the end of the 19th century, the bear supporters won. They studied the panda's skin and decided that this cute black-and-white chubby creature was almost an ancestor of today's bears. And genetic tests confirmed that the panda is not a giant raccoon at all, but a real bear, the closest relative of the spectacled bear.

7. Himalayan black bear

Himalayan bearWeight - up to 200 kg, length - up to 1.7 meters.

This is one of the most beautiful bears, with luxurious shiny black fur and a white or golden "bib". In shape it resembles a crescent, because of this the Himalayan bear is also called "moon bear".

When meeting a person, the Himalayan bear behaves very aggressively. However, people are also the most terrible threat to them. The fact is that in many Asian countries, the bile of the Himalayan bear is used as a remedy for impotence and many other diseases. Therefore, dozens of animals are kept in cramped cages and bile is pumped out of their gall bladders using special tubes. This procedure is extremely painful, and, one might say, cruel.

6. Kermode Bear

Kermode BearWeight - up to 300 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.

This big guy lives only in the forests of western Canada. Although it is a subspecies of black bear, the color of the kermode's skin is either dirty white or cream with an amber tint. This coloring-camouflage helps the animal when fishing for salmon in the river.

This bear got its name from the explorer Francis Kermode, who described it. And the local Indians call it "ghost bear".

5. Black bear

Black bearWeight - up to 380 kg, length - up to 2 meters.

The black bear's diet consists mainly of plant foods (raspberries, wild grapes, blackberries, acorns, etc.).

You can't really eat much on such food, so the cunning bears have adapted: they rummage through garbage dumps and look for scraps there. Some black bears can even open jars with screw-on lids.

Black bears usually do not attack people, but they can attack livestock (sheep, goats).

4. Brown bear

Brown bearWeight - up to 410 kg, length - up to 2.4 meters.

Brown bears are very unusual animals. They can stand on two legs, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. This — combined with their ability to communicate with each other through tree scratches, smells, and sounds — makes them similar to our own way of life.

Brown bears can be found in Western and Central Europe, Scandinavia, Finland and the Carpathians. In Russia, brown bears live in almost all forest areas except for the southern regions.

This bear was the inspiration for the names of two constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

3. Grizzly bear

Ursus arctos horribilis Weight – up to 726 kg, length – up to 4 meters.

Grizzly bears, scientifically known as Ursus arctos horribilis (terrible brown bear), have a fairly prominent hump in the shoulder blade area and long claws (up to 80 mm). Both the hump and the claws are characteristics associated with the grizzly bear's ability to dig.

Grizzly bears are omnivores, and their diet can vary widely. They eat seeds, berries, roots, grasses, mushrooms, fish, deer, moose, dead animals, and insects. Grizzly bears often attack people who are careless enough to get too close to the bear. In 1998, a huge man-eating bear was killed in Alaska. Its body size was such that if it stood on its hind legs, it could look into the second-story window of a typical five-story building.

In late summer and early fall, grizzlies enter a hyperphagic stage that lasts between 2 and 4 months. In simple terms, they increase their caloric intake to gain weight for hibernation. During this time, they can add up to 13 pounds a day to their already impressive frame.

2. Kodiak

KodiakWeight - up to 780 kg, length - up to 2.9 meters.

This furry giant lives on Kodiak Island in Alaska, hence its name. He is the largest brown bear in the world.

The most famous bear to appear in a movie was also a Kodiak. He starred in such famous films as "The Bear," "Legends of the Fall," and "On the Edge." In total, Bart had 16 films to his credit.

1. White Polar Bear

The white polar bear is the largest in the worldWeight - up to a ton, length - up to 3 meters.

When asked which bear is the largest, the Guinness Book of Records names the polar bear. Although the Kodiak bear is breathing down the polar bear's neck in the race for size.

These beautiful, exotic creatures live in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia.

The world's largest bear shares a common ancestor with brown bears. Therefore, crossbreeding between polar and brown bears is not only possible, but has occurred regularly. Because of this, between 2% and 10% of polar bear genetic material is found in the brown bear population. Polar and brown bear hybrids are called polar grizzlies.

However, brown bears are uncomfortable in the conditions in which polar bears feel at ease. And vice versa.

Interestingly, in hot climates, the polar bear's luxurious white fur can turn green. This happens because microscopic algae grow in the hairs.

The largest bear in history is Arctodus simus

Arctodus simus – the largest, tallest and heaviest bear in historyWeight – over 1100 kg, length – up to 3.5 meters.

The extinct species of the Giant Short-Faced Bear (Arctodus simus) is the largest bear in the history of the Earth. It lived about 12,000 years ago. The giant's habitat was the territory of North America.