On a salmon river on Kodiak Island, a big male bear rises onto his hind legs to look over the long grass. Standing up, he is taller than a basketball hoop.
A large male Kodiak bear stands over 3 m (10 ft) tall on his hind legs and about 1.5 m (5 ft) on all fours, and can weigh up to 680 kg (1,500 lb), says the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Most males weigh 272–635 kg (600–1,400 lb) and females 136–318 kg (300–700 lb).
Key takeaways
- Males: 272–635 kg (600–1,400 lb); the biggest wild males reach about 680 kg (1,500 lb).
- Females: 136–318 kg (300–700 lb), about 20% smaller and 30% lighter than males.
- Height: over 3 m (10 ft) standing for a large male, about 1.5 m (5 ft) on all fours.
- Why so big: salmon makes up about 64% of their diet.
How big is a Kodiak bear, in numbers?
Kodiak bears are brown bears that live only on the Kodiak Archipelago off southern Alaska. They are a subspecies, Ursus arctos middendorffi. The table gathers the official figures from the state of Alaska and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, with males and females shown separately so you can compare them.
| Measurement | Males | Females | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical weight | 272–635 kg (600–1,400 lb) | 136–318 kg (300–700 lb) | USFWS |
| Top weight in the wild | Up to 680 kg (1,500 lb) | About 30% lighter than males | ADF&G |
| Height on all fours | About 1.5 m (5 ft) for a large male | 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) for adults overall | ADF&G; USFWS |
| Height standing on hind legs | Over 3 m (10 ft) for a large male | About 20% smaller than males | ADF&G |
| Newborn cub | Under 0.5 kg (1 lb) | ADF&G | |
| Cub leaving the den (May–June) | 7–9 kg (15–20 lb) | ADF&G | |
| Record skull (width + length) | 78.1 cm (30.75 in) | n/a | USFWS |
How much does a Kodiak bear weigh?
Adult males usually weigh 272–635 kg (600–1,400 lb), and adult females 136–318 kg (300–700 lb), says the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The heaviest wild males reach about 680 kg (1,500 lb), according to ADF&G. That is about the weight of nine adults of 75 kg each.
Weight swings with the seasons. At nearby Katmai, where brown bears also feed on salmon, most males weigh 272–408 kg (600–900 lb) in mid-summer and large males pass 454 kg (1,000 lb) by October, says the National Park Service. Bears live off that fat through the winter.
How much bigger is a male Kodiak bear than a female?
Females are about 20% smaller and 30% lighter than males, says ADF&G. The USFWS puts it another way: male brown bears are 1.2 to 2.2 times larger than females. A big male can weigh more than double a small female. The gap matters, because adult males are one of the main causes of cub deaths, so mothers keep their families away.
How tall is a Kodiak bear?
A large male stands about 1.5 m (5 ft) on all fours and over 3 m (10 ft) on his hind legs, says ADF&G. The USFWS gives 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) on all fours for adults overall, and up to 3 m (10 ft) upright. Standing, the biggest males are taller than a basketball hoop, which is 3.05 m (10 ft) high.
Picture it: a Kodiak bear next to you and a door
Heights drawn to scale. Each dashed line is one metre (about 3.3 ft).
Adult person, 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in), for scale
House door, about 2 m (6 ft 7 in), for scale
Large male on all fours: about 1.5 m (5 ft)
Large male on hind legs: over 3 m (10 ft)
Bear heights: Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The person and the door are rounded everyday sizes added for scale, not measured averages. A female stands about 20% smaller than the male shown.
Bears don’t walk around on two legs. They stand up for short moments, mostly to see or smell better. Most of the time a Kodiak bear is a long, low, heavy animal on four legs.
Why are Kodiak bears so big?
Food, and lots of it. Salmon makes up about 64% of a Kodiak bear’s diet, and plants another 26%, says the USFWS. Coastal brown bears like these can weigh about twice as much as interior brown bears. Kodiak bears have also been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years, since the last ice age, says the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
What role do Kodiak bears play in their ecosystem?
They are top predators and big nutrient movers. Bears catch salmon in streams, then eat and rest in the forest nearby. A 1999 study of brown bears on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula found that 15.5–17.8% of the nitrogen in streamside spruce needles came from salmon, and bears had carried 83–84% of it (Hilderbrand and colleagues, via USGS). That fish-fed fertiliser helps the plants grow.
Is a Kodiak bear bigger than a grizzly bear?
Yes, usually by a lot. Male grizzlies in the lower 48 US states average 400–600 lb (about 180–270 kg), says the USFWS. The heaviest grizzly weighed in the Yellowstone area was 324 kg (715 lb), says NPS Yellowstone, which is well inside the normal Kodiak male range.
Yet they are the same species, Ursus arctos. The difference is where they live and what they eat. See how much a grizzly bear weighs and what brown bears eat.
Is the Kodiak bear the biggest bear in the world?
It shares the title with the polar bear. Adult male polar bears normally weigh 350–600 kg (775–1,300 lb), says Polar Bears International, close to the Kodiak range. Guinness World Records lists a polar bear shot in 1960 at an estimated 900 kg as the heaviest land carnivore, though it notes the figures have been disputed. Compare them in how big is a polar bear and the biggest bear in the world.
What is the biggest Kodiak bear ever recorded?
The heaviest known Kodiak bears lived in zoos, with plenty of food and little exercise. Clyde, at the Dakota Zoo in North Dakota, weighed 966 kg (2,130 lb) when he died in 1987, with a fat layer about 23 cm (9 in) thick, reports the North American Bear Center. Goliath, in a New Jersey zoo, reportedly passed 900 kg in the early 1980s, says Guinness.
For wild bears, the North American Bear Center says the Journal of Mammalogy listed one male at 748 kg (1,648 lb). We could not check that paper ourselves. The best official limit for wild bears remains ADF&G’s 680 kg (1,500 lb).
How many Kodiak bears are there?
About 3,500, says ADF&G, at a density of about 0.7 bears per square mile (roughly one bear per 3.7 km²). The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was set up to protect them, and its Karluk Lake area has one of the densest bear populations in the world. Brown bears as a species are Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reports the International Association for Bear Research and Management.
If you ever visit Kodiak, watch bears only from a safe distance, with a licensed guide, and never feed them. For other brown bears, read where grizzly bears live.
Myths about Kodiak bear size
Myth: Kodiak bears are a separate species from grizzlies.
Fact: Both are brown bears, Ursus arctos. The Kodiak bear is a subspecies that grows bigger on a salmon-rich diet.
Myth: Adult Kodiak bears weigh over 900 kg in the wild.
Fact: The giants over 900 kg, Clyde and Goliath, lived in zoos. ADF&G puts wild males at up to 680 kg (1,500 lb).
Myth: A 1,600 lb Kodiak was shot on Afognak Island in the 1950s.
Fact: We found no official record of this bear. Why people believe it: the story is copied between websites with no source.
Test yourself
1. How tall can a large male Kodiak bear stand on his hind legs?
Over 3 m (10 ft).
2. How much lighter is a female than a male?
About 30% lighter, and about 20% smaller.
3. What food makes up about 64% of a Kodiak bear’s diet?
Salmon.
Where to next?
➡️ Go wider: the biggest bear in the world⬆️ Go deeper: the brown bear diet that builds these giants🔀 Go sideways: how big a polar bear gets
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Kodiak bear cub weigh?
Less than 0.5 kg (1 lb) at birth, with little hair and closed eyes, says the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Cubs drink milk in the den for several months and come out in May or June weighing 7 to 9 kg (15 to 20 lb). Over 25% of cubs die before they leave their mother.
How long do Kodiak bears live?
Kodiak bears can live past 30 years in the wild and past 40 years in captivity, says the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Most wild bears die younger than that, and many cubs do not survive their first years with their mother.
Where do Kodiak bears live?
Only on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southern Alaska. They have been isolated there for about 12,000 years. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the Kodiak bear and covers much of its habitat on the islands.
Are Kodiak bears dangerous?
Any bear this big can hurt people, so keep your distance. Most bears avoid humans. In bear country, stay in a group, make noise, store food safely and carry bear spray. The US National Park Service publishes clear bear safety advice for visitors.
Sources
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Kodiak brown bear fact sheet.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service. Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi).
- US Fish and Wildlife Service. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge: species.
- US National Park Service, Katmai National Park and Preserve. Brown bear frequently asked questions.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service. Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis).
- US National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone grizzly bear facts.
- Hilderbrand, G.V., Hanley, T.A., Robbins, C.T. and Schwartz, C.C. (1999). Role of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the flow of marine nitrogen into a terrestrial ecosystem. Oecologia 121: 546-550.
- Polar Bears International. Adaptations and characteristics.
- Guinness World Records. Heaviest carnivore on land.
- North American Bear Center. Kodiak bears.
- International Association for Bear Research and Management. Ursus arctos (brown bear).
Sources checked 12 October 2026.
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