Signs of Aggression in Kodiak Bears

The Kodiak bear is the largest type of brown bear. An adult female can weigh between 500 and 700 pounds, while an adult male will generally weigh between 800 and 1,400 pounds. Some Kodiaks can even weigh more than 1,500 pounds. Kodiaks usually try to avoid humans, but can be very dangerous if they become aggressive.

  1. Types of Aggression

    • There are two distinct types of aggression in bears. If the bear is provoked, it may become aggressive to defend itself, its territory, its food or its cubs. A person might not know what he has done to provoke the bear, but the bear is acting to defend itself and is not deliberately attempting to harm the human unless it believes it has to.

      The other type of aggression by a Kodiak is when it is in predatory mode. According to the University of Alberta's website on bear safety, a predatory bear is hunting the person as a source of food.

    The Attack Position

    • An aggressive Kodiak bear may have foam on its mouth, and its ears may be pulled back. When a bear lowers its head, looks straight at you and pulls its ears back, then the bear is in position to attack. However, this behavior may be part of a threat display, a ritualized assertion of dominance. According to the University of Alberta's bear safety website, you need to convince the bear in this situation that you are not a threat. Use submissive body language, behave passively and quietly and do not look the bear in the face. Climb a tree or play dead if possible.

    Aggressive Sounds

    • A bear attempting to assert dominance over you might growl or make huffing, hissing or panting sounds. It may "pop" its jaws by opening and closing them. These are all part of the threat display, according to the University of Alberta.

    Aggressive Body Language

    • A bear attempting to assert dominance will sometimes turn sideways to show you how big it is. It may charge you or make bluff charges, stopping short before contact. It can be hard to tell a bluff charge from a real charge. According to the University of Alberta, a bear approaching you within 50 meters (or less if the area is forested) should be deterred if possible with bear spray or a bear banger. If the bear keeps getting closer, it is important not to run, as there is no way to outrun a bear. At this point, the University of Alberta website recommends, you might be forced to shoot the bear if you have a gun.

    Predatory Attacks

    • In a predatory encounter, the bear won't make any threat displays. It might simply run straight at you, or it might circle you for a time or follow you.

      If the bear shows signs of predatory aggression, you must convince it that you are a threat. Make yourself appear as large as possible, make as much noise as you can, and use a deterrent or a weapon such as bear mace if you have one. Both the University of Alberta and Simply Wild Canada;'s bear safety websites stress the importance of not attempting to play dead with a bear that is trying to eat you.