Depending on the species, bears can range in size significantly, making them some of the largest terrestrial carnivores on the planet. Male polar bears normally weigh between 350 and 700 kilograms (772 to 1,543 pounds), while female polar bears range between 150 and 500 kilograms (331 to 1,102 pounds). Polar bears are the largest bear species. A male bear that was shot in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, in 1960 is thought to have weighed an estimated 1,002 kilograms (2,210 pounds), making it the largest polar bear on record.
There are more huge species of bears. The second-largest bear species is the brown bear, commonly called the grizzly bear. Males normally weigh between 315 and 789 kilograms (695 and 1,740 pounds), while females typically weigh between 181 and 400 kilograms (400 to 882 pounds). The largest brown bear on record was a male shot on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia in 1959, which weighed an estimated 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds).
Male American black bears normally weigh between 115 and 318 kilograms (254 to 701 pounds), while females typically weigh between 60 and 175 kilograms (132 to 386 pounds). American black bears are the smallest bear species in North America. A male black bear that was slain in 1955 in New Brunswick, Canada, is thought to have weighed an estimated 675 kilograms (1,488 pounds), making it the largest bear in American history.
Asian black bears, sometimes known as sun bears, are the smallest bear species in the world, with males typically weighing between 50 and 150 kilograms (110 to 331 pounds) and females weighing between 30 and 120 kilograms (66 to 265 pounds). A male Asian black bear believed to weigh 150 kg (331 pounds) was shot in Myanmar in 1997, making it the largest bear on record.
As you can see, bears can grow to be very big creatures, with polar bears being the biggest. When you are in a region where bears are present, it is necessary to be aware of their size and power and to take precautions to prevent confrontations with them.
