Kodiak bear
Ursus arctos middendorffi
Conservation status
Least concern
Like the grizzly, the Kodiak is a brown bear, but it is only found on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago, off the south coast of Alaska. Alongside the polar bear, it is one of the world’s two largest land carnivores — adult males can weigh more than 700 kg. Like most bear species, Kodiak bears are largely herbivorous, feeding on grasses and berries. But salmon are also an important part of their diet, and some Kodiak bears prey on deer or mountain goats. Since the 1940s, this species has been legally protected. Bear viewing is a major tourist attraction, and a limited number of bears can be shot each year by licensed hunters.
Diorama
1966–68
The scene with the bear and the killed moose is dramatic, but fake: there are no moose living on the Kodiak Islands.
Provenance
29. Oktober 1962, Shelikof Strait, 1 Weibchen, Alaska, USA, Hannes Sägesser; 27. Mai 1962, Alaska, USA, Roye Loesche