In my opinion, there is no other mammal that exemplifies the dangerous combination of power and primal instinct as the brown bear. Brown bears have faced regional extinctions such as in California and Mexico, but still are the most widely distributed bear species. There are several different subspecies of brown bear. In North America they include the Coastal Brown Bear, Grizzly and Kodiak. Bears living in coastal Alaska thrive on salmon and can weight up to 1500 pounds or more!
Dealing with bears is just another fact of life for Alaskans and the children are taught early in school how to avoid an attacks. Alaska is home to brown bears and black bears each requiring different approaches to survive an attack. Number one rule is to avoid and not surprise the bears. Best way to escape a brown bear attack is to play dead facedown while weaving your fingers together placed over your neck. In contrast, escaping a black bear attack requires you to fight with whatever you have. Hit the snout with a fist, or sticks or pepper spray to the face. Think twice about running or climbing a tree. Black bears are faster and better climbers.
The photograph above was taken at a refuge in Alaska, but I encountered several bears in the wild such as this mom and her cubs.
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: Principle ranges include forest and tundras of Russia, United States (mostly Alaska), Canada, Japan, Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe.
Threats: Habitat destruction and human persecution.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear
Sweeney, M. S. (2009). National Geographic Complete Survival Manual. Washington D.C.: National Geographic.
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