Bears typically enter their dens in the order of pregnant females followed by lone females and females with cubs. In late October, the bears will begin to enter their dens for hibernation.

When he breaks into a jog, he doubles his speed to 10 km/h (6 mph).ĭespite their size, these bears can be amazingly graceful swimmers. Kodiak bears have a flat-footed, pigeon-toed walk however, when one picks up pace, he can cover short distances at speeds of 55 to 65 km/h (35 to 40 mph).Īn average walking pace is about 5 km/h (3 mph), which is very similar to the average human walking pace. It also provides him with the power to use his paws as a weapon. The hump on his back, beneath the neck, is solid muscle the bear uses for digging. The Kodiak bear may look like a lumbering giant, but his large physique is mostly muscle. They are opportunistic feeders that eat roots, berries, grasses, sedges, wild flowers, wild celery and other plants as well as rodents, insects, large mammals (including deer and mountain goats), fish, carrion, and yes, unfortunately, garbage and pet food. Along a few streams on Kodiak, up to 60 bears can be seen simultaneously in a 2.6 square kilometers (1 square miles) area. Kodiak bears are generally solitary in nature however, when food is concentrated in small areas, such as along salmon spawning streams, grass/sedge flats, berry patches, a dead whale, or even an open garbage dump, they often occur in large groups. Kodiak are diurnal (active during the day), but when faced with competition for food or space, they adopt a more nocturnal (active at night) lifestyle.īecause of the abundance of food on Kodiak Island, they have smaller home ranges than any other brown bears and have no need to defend territories. The Kodiak bears’ color is similar to that of their very close relative,ĭespite large variation in size, the diet and lifestyle of the Kodiak bear does not differ greatly from that of other brown bears. Hair colors range from blonde to orange (typically females or bears from southern parts of the archipelago) to dark brown. When standing fully upright on its hind legs, a large male could reach a height of 3 m (9.8 ft). Most adult female Kodiak bears weigh from 181 to 318 kg (399 to 701 lb), while adult males weigh on average from 272 to 635 kg (600 to 1,400 lb). Females are about 20 percent smaller in size. Physiologically, the Kodiak bear is very similar to the mainland grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis), with the main difference being in size.Īn average adult male measures 244 cm (8 ft) in length and stands 133 cm (4 ft 4 in) tall at the shoulder. The oldest known male in the wild was 27 years old, and the oldest female was 35. The average lifespan in the wild is 20 to 25 years. The Kodiak bear is, by nature, a long-living animal.