Appearance
Kodiak bears are a subspecies of brown bears, so they resemble regular brown bears in appearance, particularly the grizzly, with hair ranging from blond to orange to dark brown. Cubs often have a white ring around their necks for a couple years. A female Kodiak weighs from 500 to 700 pounds, and males weigh from 800 to 1,400 pounds. Kodiak bears can stand up to five feet tall at the shoulder while on all fours, and 10 feet when on two legs.
Range
Kodiak bears have a very limited range, and the subspecies is genetically isolated on the Kodiak Archipelago just off the southern coast of Alaska. An estimated 3,500 bears live on the islands, and their population has increased steadily. The topography of the islands are diverse, ranging from forests to mountainous terrain.
Diet
Kodiak bears often forage after emerging from hibernation, eating spring vegetation and the carcasses of dead animals readily available. In the summer, Kodiak bears will eat many different kinds of vegetation and berries, and then they will start hunting salmon from May through September before eating berries in the fall. Kodiak bears may sometimes prey on deer or mountain goats if the opportunity presents itself.
Interaction with Humans
Bears are solitary except when congregating in feeding areas, and they are shy and avoid humans. The last fatal bear attack occurred in 1999, which happened when a hunter return to game he had killed. The last fatality before that was 1921. Experts generally advise people to look for signs of bears when hiking or fishing alone and to make lots of noise so the bears aren't surprised and can move out of the area. People should travel in groups if they can and walk with the wind to their backs so that bears will smell them.