A large male Kodiak bear stands over 3 m (10 ft) tall on its hind legs and about 1.5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder, 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). Females are smaller.
How big is a Kodiak bear, in numbers?
Kodiak bears are brown bears that live only on the Kodiak Archipelago, a group of islands off southern Alaska. They are a subspecies called Ursus arctos middendorffi. The table gathers the official figures, with males and females shown separately.
| 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 at the shoulder | 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). That is roughly the weight of eight or nine grown men.
Females are about 20% smaller and 30% lighter than males, according to ADF&G. That gap matters: a big male is a danger to cubs, so mothers keep their families away from him.
Weight also changes with the seasons. Kodiak bears are very similar in diet and habits to the brown bears of nearby Katmai, says the National Park Service at Katmai. There, most males weigh 272–408 kg (600–900 lb) in mid-summer, and large males pass 454 kg (1,000 lb) by October. Bears then live off that fat through the winter.
How tall is a Kodiak bear?
On all four feet, adults stand 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) high at the shoulder, says the USFWS. A large male reaches about 1.5 m (5 ft), which is as tall as many 12-year-olds.
Standing up on his hind legs, a large male can top 3 m (10 ft), according to ADF&G. A basketball hoop is 3.05 m (10 ft) high. So the biggest Kodiak bears could look straight over the rim.
Bears don’t walk around on two legs, though. 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?
The short answer is food, and lots of it. Salmon make up about 64% of a Kodiak bear’s diet, and plants another 26%, says the USFWS. Coastal brown bears weigh about twice as much as interior brown bears, and the USFWS says rich salmon runs are the likely reason.
Isolation helped too. Kodiak bears have been cut off from other bears for about 12,000 years, since the end of the last ice age (ADF&G). Over that time they became a separate subspecies.
The old version of this page said Kodiak bears have no predators except people. That is not quite true. Adult Kodiak bears have no natural enemies, but over 25% of cubs die before leaving their mother. Killing by adult males is one of the main causes, says ADF&G.
Is a Kodiak bear bigger than a grizzly bear?
Yes, usually by a lot. Male grizzlies in the lower 48 US states average 180–270 kg (400–600 lb), says the USFWS. A typical male Kodiak bear is heavier than the heaviest grizzly weighed in Yellowstone, which was 324 kg (715 lb).
Yet they are the same species. Grizzlies and Kodiak bears are both brown bears, Ursus arctos. The difference is where they live and what they eat. See our full page on how much a grizzly bear weighs, and what brown bears eat in the brown bear diet.
Is the Kodiak bear the biggest bear in the world?
It shares the title with the polar bear. Adult male polar bears weigh 350–600 kg (775–1,300 lb), says Polar Bears International. That is close to the Kodiak range of 272–635 kg (600–1,400 lb).
Records don’t settle it either. Guinness World Records names a polar bear shot in 1960 as the heaviest land carnivore, at an estimated 900 kg (1,984 lb). Guinness says the figures have been disputed. Compare the two 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, where they got plenty of food and little exercise. A bear called Clyde at the Dakota Zoo in North Dakota weighed 966 kg (2,130 lb) when he died in 1987, reports the North American Bear Center. He still had a fat layer 23 cm (9 in) thick.
Another zoo bear, Goliath in New Jersey, reportedly passed 900 kg (1,984 lb) in the early 1980s, says Guinness. For wild bears, the North American Bear Center says a weight of 748 kg (1,648 lb) was listed for one male in the Journal of Mammalogy. We could not check that paper ourselves.
You may read about a 1,600-pound Kodiak shot on Afognak Island in the 1950s. We found no official record of it, so treat it as a story. The best official limit for wild bears remains ADF&G’s 680 kg (1,500 lb).
How many Kodiak bears are there?
There are about 3,500 Kodiak bears, says ADF&G. That works out to about 0.7 bears per square mile, or roughly one bear for every 3.7 km². Much of their home is protected in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, where the Karluk Lake area has one of the densest bear populations in the world.
The population is stable and carefully managed. Brown bears as a species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reports the International Association for Bear Research and Management. For other brown bears, read where grizzly bears live.
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). Twins or triplets are typical.
How long do Kodiak bears live?
Twenty years is considered old for a Kodiak bear, says the USFWS, but they can live past 30 in the wild and past 40 in zoos. The oldest known wild Kodiak bear was a 34-year-old female; the oldest male was 27, according to ADF&G.
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 covers much of Kodiak Island and parts of nearby islands, and protects most of their habitat.
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).
- 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).
- US National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park (2015). Yellowstone grizzly bear facts.
Sources checked 15 September 2026.
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