Ever walked into a museum, looked up at a taxidermied polar bear, and felt that weird, primal shiver in your spine? It’s not just the glass eyes. It’s the sheer, impossible scale of the thing.
Most people think they know the answer to the "biggest bear" question. You probably do too. You're likely picturing a white ghost of the Arctic, and you wouldn't be wrong. But honestly, the answer is way more complicated—and a lot closer to home if you live in North America.
When we talk about the largest bear on the planet, we are essentially looking at a heavyweight championship between two titans: the Polar bear and the Kodiak bear.
It’s basically a draw depending on how you measure them. Are we talking about the average weight of a healthy male? The freak-of-nature record holder? Or maybe just who stands tallest when they decide to look you in the eye from ten feet up? Let's break down the actual data.
Polar Bear vs. Kodiak: The Heavyweight Tale of the Tape
If you're looking for the official scientific title holder, the Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) usually takes the crown as the largest species. They are the undisputed kings of the Arctic.
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But then there's the Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi). These guys aren't their own species; they’re a subspecies of the brown bear. They live exclusively on the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska. Because they spend their lives gorging on calorie-dense salmon and have zero competition, they’ve evolved into absolute units.
The Average Stats (Male)
| Feature | Polar Bear | Kodiak Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Average Weight | 800–1,500 lbs | 600–1,400 lbs |
| Max Height (Standing) | Up to 10 feet | Up to 10 feet |
| Shoulder Height | 4–5.3 feet | 3–5 feet |
You see the overlap? It’s tight. In the wild, a large male Polar bear will usually outweigh a large male Kodiak. The Polar bear has a longer, more streamlined body built for swimming and hunting seals. The Kodiak is built like a tank—wider, bulkier, and sporting that classic brown bear hump of pure muscle over the shoulders.
The Freak Records: When Bears Get Ridiculous
Statistics are great for scientists, but records are what we actually care about.
The largest Polar bear ever recorded was a male shot in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, back in 1960. This thing was a monster. It weighed a staggering 2,209 pounds. To put that in perspective, that’s about the weight of a small car like a Chevy Spark. When it stood on its hind legs, it stretched nearly 12 feet into the air.
On the other side, we have the Kodiak records. The heaviest wild Kodiak ever verified weighed in around 1,650 pounds. However, when these bears are in captivity, they can get even bigger because they don't have to work for their food.
A famous Kodiak bear named Clyde, who lived at the Dakota Zoo, reportedly reached 2,130 pounds before he passed away in 1987. Some zoo staff even estimated he touched 2,400 pounds at his absolute peak. That’s a lot of bear.
Why Do They Get This Big?
It’s all about the buffet.
Polar bears are "hyper-carnivores." They almost exclusively eat seal blubber. Fat is the most energy-dense food on earth, and Polar bears are masters at processing it. They need that massive size to stay warm in sub-zero temperatures (Bergmann’s Rule) and to have the strength to haul a 200-pound seal out of a breathing hole in the ice.
Kodiak bears have it even better. They live in a lush, green environment. While their cousins (the Grizzlies) are scrappy and have to dig for roots or hunt elk, Kodiaks just wait for the salmon to come to them. During the "salmon run," these bears can gain several pounds of fat every single day.
Honestly, if you had an all-you-can-eat sushi bar in your backyard and no one to fight you for it, you’d probably be a record-breaker too.
The "Grizzly" Misconception
People often use "Grizzly" and "Kodiak" interchangeably. Don’t do that.
While they are both brown bears, a standard interior Grizzly bear is actually much smaller. An average male Grizzly might only weigh 400 to 700 pounds. That’s a "dog" compared to the 1,500-pound Kodiak "wolves." The difference is entirely down to diet and habitat. Coastal brown bears (like Kodiaks) are just on a much better meal plan.
The Real-World Experience: Seeing the Giants
If you actually want to see the largest bear on the planet in person, you have two very different travel paths.
- Churchill, Manitoba (The Polar Bear Capital): This is the go-to spot. You hop in a Tundra Buggy and wait for the ice to freeze. Seeing a 1,200-pound male walk past your window is something you never forget.
- Kodiak Island, Alaska: This is more rugged. You’re usually looking at floatplanes and guided treks. It’s a more intimate, albeit slightly more terrifying, way to see a massive predator.
Surprising Facts About Bear Size
- Paws the size of dinner plates: A Polar bear's front paws can be 12 inches across. They act like snowshoes and paddles.
- The "Roman Nose": Polar bears have a long, curved snout, whereas Kodiaks have a more "dished" face profile.
- Birth Weight: Despite growing to half a ton or more, both of these bears are born weighing less than a pound. They are tiny, blind, and helpless—basically the size of a stick of butter.
- The Weight Gap: Female bears are significantly smaller. A female Polar bear usually tops out around 500-700 pounds, unless she's pregnant and loaded with fat reserves.
What Actually Matters
At the end of the day, arguing about whether a Polar bear or a Kodiak is "bigger" is like arguing whether a Ferrari or a Lamborghini is faster. They’re both at the absolute limit of what nature allows for a land-dwelling carnivore.
The Polar bear is the king of the ice, and the Kodiak is the king of the forest.
One thing is for sure: if you ever encounter either one in the wild, the specific number of pounds won't matter. You’ll just be thinking about how small you feel in comparison.
Your Next Steps for Bear Research
If you’re planning a trip to see these giants or just want to dive deeper into the biology, here’s how to move forward:
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- Check the Seasonal Timing: If you want to see Kodiaks at their heaviest, visit Alaska in late August or September during the salmon runs. For Polar bears, late October and November in Churchill is the peak window.
- Study Bear Safety: If you're heading to Alaska, learn the "Bear Pepper Spray" protocols and the difference between "defensive" and "predatory" encounters. Brown bears and Polar bears require different reactions.
- Support Conservation: Both bears face habitat loss—Polar bears from melting sea ice and Kodiaks from localized environmental shifts. Organizations like Polar Bears International provide real-time tracking data if you want to follow individual bears' movements in the Arctic.
Keep an eye on the latest 2026 wildlife census reports coming out of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; they've been using drone tech to get more accurate weight estimates on wild Kodiaks than ever before.