Based on its size and speed it seems the short-faced bear was equipped to prey on just about anything it wanted, but this is actually a matter up for debate. There was no word on how much he weighed, according to Fox News. The island has more than 2,500 bald eagles, which makes it home to one of the worlds greatest concentrations of nesting bald eagles. It says the bear was 12 1/2 feet long and weighed an estimated 1600 pounds. These were large, ferocious prehistoric predators, but even they would not have taken on Arctodus. What makes some people think it is still with us anyway? And the island's singular permanent community, Angoon, can only be accessed by plane or ferry. Another version claimed that a park ranger shot the giant bear after it charged him from 50 yards away. Brown bears, coastal forests, rocky spires. It measured nine feet tall, and its skull measured nearly 28 inches. Elliot Clark fired a shotgun at a bear that attacked his uncle and grandfather while the family was on a fishing trip near Juneau, Alaska. I looked over at Ted who stood between the tree and I. The island is home to the highest density of brown bears in North America and the highest density of bald eagles in the world. Head to Mitchell Bay, Hood Bay, White… To further put this in perspective, regulation height for a basketball rim is ten feet. Where we stood not seconds earlier, the brush began to part. I think Mr. Examples of MacFarlane’s Bear are still occasionally sighted in Canada and Alaska, and the possibility that this is a unique species is still on the table. Kootznoowoo means “Bear Fort” or “Fortress of the Bears,” and its forests contain the highest concentration of brown bears in … However, when the stories are backed by evidence or at least reliable testimony, the issue becomes more interesting. Each step closer the bear inched, I felt more compelled to renege on my agreement with Ted, and kill the bear myself. The giant bear was walking toward them, so they looped around and waiting for it to approach: Murphy’s Law contended our plan, and unwillingly baffled our strategy! But, like most good hunting stories, the line between truth and fiction has blurred over time with this one. At the time, it was reported that an airman hunting on Hitchcock Island killed the giant bear. Johnny Starlight from Port Orchard on August 13, 2019: Yes. While plausible, this explanation isn’t bullet-proof. I am researching his story. As they saw it, very little separated grizzlies from men. Description The indigenous people of SE Alaska, the Tlingit, know Admiralty Island by the name Kootznoowoo, the "Bear Fort" or "Fortress of the Bears". This wasn’t just a spur of the moment decision. Where the Americas once held a diversity of predators and prey similar to modern Africa, with the introduction of humans many species declined or disappeared. In addition, Kootznoowoo received the surface and subsurface estate to certain lands and around Angoon including a strip of shore land along Kootznoowoo Inlet, Mitchell Bay and Kanalku. Giant Kodiak bears are the stuff of either dreams or nightmares, maybe both. The facts are a little different from the original eRumor, but the pictures do record the results of a true hunt and are real. Is This a ‘Biblical’ Crowd of Trump Supporters in Washington D.C.. The giant short-faced bear (Arctodus Simus) was among the most terrifying predators ever to appear on the North American continent. The examples of MacFarlane’s Bear and Bergman’s Bear show, at the very least, that unusual bears exist out there in the world. The absolute best place to see brown bears is on Admiralty Island National Monument. Bergman’s Bear is one such case. By Milaw (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons. Many researchers believe the expansion of human hunting throughout the Americas likely led to the extinction of North America’s large animals at the end of the last ice age. Along the Seymour Canal coastline, there is an average of one eagle nest every mile. He railed about giant bears with short snouts before he died of his wounds. Mark Twain — 'Faith is believing what you know ain't so.'. In case your wondering, a hunter in Alaska shot the second biggest grizzly bear ever recorded in 2014. I have seen such bears in my area as well. Admiralty Island's traditional Tlingit name, Kootznoowoo, translates to 'fortress of the bear.' I think it depends on where you live, and what else lives there. On the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia locals claim sightings of bears much bigger than the typical local brown bears. Bears are common too, but I see them less often. A pelt, a skeleton, or some other valid specimen may one day show that Arctodus Simus is still alive. A hunter named Jim Urban, who was there when his buddy shot the giant bear, posted them. He nodded. Ted and I found ourselves going “Mano a Mano” with a bear of a lifetime. No difference in believing in a Bigfoot population and people who swear they've seen them alive and well from Florida to Alaska and all points between. Those colorful “details” have made stories about the giant bear killed in Alaska into urban legend — but they’re not true. The solemn look alone was enough to make one feel threatened, but oddly the bear showed no sign of aggression. The Truth: These photos actually show a giant bear that was killed in Alaska. This Native American culture dates back around 13,000 years, making then contemporaries of the giant short-faced bear. Is this another possible example of Arctodus Simus or some other prehistoric bear appearing in modern times? In that account, Urban wrote that he and a hunting buddy, Ted, found the giant bear walking along a riverbed. cryptid (author) from USA on November 07, 2016: @bob: Deer are pretty common where I live and I see them almost every day. Secondly, with its long limbs the short-faced bear would have had a different appearance than a typical brown bear, one which does not match the description given by locals. The temperate rainforests of Admiralty Island's Kootznoowoo Wilderness are unique among the 5,700,000 acres (2,300,000 ha) of federally protected Wilderness in Southeast Alaska.. Fear Island wraps Animal Planet… Giant Short-faced Bear Arctodus Simus Compared to Human, By Dantheman9758 [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. 3. During its day the short-faced bear was a nightmare for any prey or competitor unlucky enough to cross its path. TruthorFiction.com was able to track down the original photos of the giant bear killed in Alaska, and the hunter who shot it. 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