The Largest Grizzly Bear Ever Kept in a Zoo
The largest grizzly bear to have ever been held in captivity is between two individuals, Clyde and Goliath.
Clyde
Clyde the bear is easily one of the largest captive bears to have ever been documented, but his story is incredibly unique. Clyde was born in 1965 and was kept at the Dakota Zoo until his death on June 4th, 1987. During that time. Clyde became the single most popular attraction at the zoo, partly because of his size and partly because of his story. As a grizzly bear, Clyde was large. In fact, Clyde was a subspecies of grizzly bear known as a Kodiak bear. Kodiak bears are still grizzlies, but they are native to a large island off the coast of Alaska named Kodiak Island. The bears on Kodiak Island are often over 10 feet tall when standing on their hind legs, or about as tall as the rim of a professional basketball hoop. Additionally, Kodiak bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds, making them the second largest bears behind only polar bears. Clyde was a member of this unique group of grizzlies. While Clyde was a Kodiak bear, he was also the subject of some strange testing. The United States used Clyde in radioactive testing, specifically that of the radioactive isotope Strontium-90.
Goliath
Goliath the Alaskan brown bear is generally considered to be one of the largest bears ever kept in captivity. This monstrous bear lived in the Space Farms Zoo & Museum from 1967 and 1991. Goliath reportedly measured 12 feet tall and weighed well over 1,000 lbs. While it isn’t stated on any source that Goliath was a Kodiak bear, his size and proportions lead some to believe that he wasn’t just an Alaskan grizzly, but a Kodiak bear. Sadly, Goliath didn’t live a good life. The zoo in which he was kept constantly topped lists for “worst zoos in America.” Goliath was kept in horrible conditions and reportedly spent his life on a concrete floor. As Goliath neared the end of his life, he developed severe rheumatism. It finally got so bad that Goliath wasn’t even able to stand to get himself a drink of water as he lay dying. In a final act of kindness, he was put to sleep. Currently, his taxidermized body is still mounted at Space Farms and people can see it even today.
What Is the Largest Grizzly Bear Ever Recorded?
The largest grizzly bear ever recorded wasn’t actually a living bear, but a bear skull. A taxidermist accidentally stumbled onto the skill in 1976, with measurements being extrapolated from it. A more complete example occurred in 1954 when the world record was shot in Kodiak, Alaska. Although it was quite some time ago, this massive bear easily ranks as one of the largest ever. Additionally, it was more than just a skull and that has to count for something!
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Kodiak bears are the largest subspecies of grizzly bears. Are grizzly and brown bears the same? Yes, grizzly and brown bears are the same species, although there are regional differences among populations. What is a Kodiak bear? Kodiak bears are the largest subspecies of brown bears in the world and are exclusively found on Kodiak Island off of Alaska. Why are Kodiak bears so big? Kodiak bears are so big because of their geological isolation and extremely high calorie diets resulting from localized salmon runs.
