Since ancient times, the bear aroused respect, admiration and fear in a person at the same time. The one who survived the fight with this beast forever acquired the glory of a magnificent wrestler, a favorite of fate. Yes, and modern hunters consider the skin of this animal the most desirable and honorable trophy.
The image of a bear can be found in the epic and mythology of many nations. Beliefs and fairy tales were composed about him, he was considered a patron, called the owner of the forest. In Russia, it was believed that there was no need to mention the name of this beast once again, because he would surely hear and declare, and then certainly trouble would not be avoided. There is a version that the Russians called him the one who knows honey, and it was from this ancient nickname that the name "bear" familiar to us today was formed.
People have always been wary of the bear for a reason. This is a very large and strong animal. And for those who want to learn about the largest representatives of the genus, our article will certainly come in handy.
Polar bear
The most accurate answer to the question of which bear is the largest in the world can be considered the name of this particular animal. The polar bear is not only the largest and heaviest of its kind, it is also the largest land mammal.
Weight of an adult animalusually reaches a ton, and growth - three meters. The Ruler of the Arctic spends much of his time hunting. These animals do not fall into hibernation, for them winter is just the most active and satisfying time of the year. But in the summer, when the ice melts and it becomes more difficult to hunt, adult males fall into a peculiar state similar to hibernation: they rest for a long time, practically do not show activity, and eat little. At this time, the metabolism slows down, the body saves resources.
Females raising cubs are deprived of such a prerogative, therefore they often die of hunger, because their metabolism goes on as usual, and they cannot do without food.
Amazing fact: Polar bear skin is black.
Global warming, coastal development, fishing, ocean pollution and other human activities lead to the fact that the largest bear on the planet is in danger of extinction.
Kodiak
Among the brown bears, this bear is the largest in the world. Photos of Kodiak are amazing and can even scare. But at the same time, they demonstrate how beautiful this animal is: it has a proportional strong body, thick, sparkling hair, a neat head with intelligent eyes. But as soon as he opens his mouth, terrible huge fangs are revealed.
This type of bear can be called the most media. Hollywood directors often use Kodiaks as actors.
The growth of an adult male reaches 3 meters, and the weight exceeds 850 kg. This animal lives onNorth American mainland. There is even an archipelago off the coast of Alaska, named the Kodiak Islands in honor of these animals that live there in large numbers.
Siberian brown
Let's find out which bear is the largest among all living in our country. The first place goes to the Siberian brown, which at the same time leads the top of the largest in all of Eurasia.
He runs the Kolyma and Anadyr basins. The body length of the bear reaches 2.5 meters, and the weight ranges from 800 kg.
Grizzly
This bear also belongs to the brown and is a close relative of the Siberian. On its territory, it also crowns the food chain and has not a single natural enemy.
Grizzly is one of the biggest bears as it weighs 450kg and is over 2m long.
The grizzly lives in Alaska, in some provinces of Canada and in a number of US states.
This beast differs from fellows from other regions of the world primarily in its behavior. The animal is quite aggressive. Unlike most of his brethren, he can attack for no apparent reason. At the beginning of the last century, grizzlies paid dearly for such a behavioral feature: repeated attacks on livestock and people more than once became the reason for mass shootings. As a result, the population has decreased by almost 30 times. Today, man in every possible way contributes to the preservation of the species. Grizzly is listed in the International Red Book, and huntingit is strictly controlled. Thanks to a number of activities, the population was restored and increased.
Baribal
Black bears are smaller than brown counterparts. The largest bear in the world among them is the baribal. With a height of about 2 meters, he usually weighs between 330 and 360 kg.
This animal lives in North America, almost on the entire continent. Biologists have noticed that these animals have very interesting behavior. During the breeding season, females unite in groups, organizing a kind of nursery. While the cubs are under the care of one or more she-bears, the rest disperse in search of food for the whole company. In other periods, these animals lead a solitary lifestyle and practically do not contact each other.
Kermode
Kermode's biggest bear can't be called, but it definitely belongs to the top ten, because it weighs up to 300 kg and has a height of just under two meters. This animal lives only in the forests on the coasts of Canada.
The unusual color is truly unique. Kermode is not an albino. It is related to the polar bear, but its degree is the same as with other species of the genus. Local Indian tribes call him a ghost bear. And the animal owes its literary name to the Canadian researcher Kermode, who first described the species.
Giant panda
The image of a panda can be found on clothes and utensils, decor items, advertising posters and much more. The name is verypopular in naming. The panda is also the emblem of WWF - World Wildlife Fund and the national symbol of China. This black and white beast seems just a toy. Probably everyone feels tenderness looking at his funny photos.
The biggest bears usually look intimidating, but this is not the case. However, don't trust first impressions. The panda is a very large and strong animal, its weight exceeds 160 kg, and its average height is 1.8 meters. It turns out that this animal is larger than the Himalayan bear.
However, nature has awarded the panda not only with a charming appearance, but also with a good disposition. Bears are well trained, love to play and rarely show aggression. They are predators, but bamboo branches are considered a favorite delicacy.
Spectacled bear
An unusual appearance went to another large bear. It is called spectacled for peculiar light spots on the muzzle, similar to glasses.
The species lives in South America and is the largest bear in this part of the world. An adult animal weighs about 150 kg, and the body length usually reaches 1.9 m. Like many brethren, the spectacled bear lives in a den, but it is not typical for him to hibernate. It is active all year round.
This species feeds mainly on plant foods, although in case of severe hunger it can also attack animals.
Cave Bear
It is the cave bear that could become the unequivocal winner in the "Biggest" nomination. But this view is longceased to exist.
The cave bear lived in Eurasia, and not in forests, like his descendants, but in mountain caves. He was 3.5 meters tall and weighed over a ton.
According to scientists, a fatal role in the extinction, which took place about 15 thousand years ago, was played not only by global climate change, but also by human hunting activities. I would like to believe that none of the currently existing species will repeat its sad fate.
