The Kodiak is roughly the same size as the polar bear, so many consider it a tie for the title of largest bear. Like the polar bear, the Kodiak’s shoulder height can reach 5 feet, but most bears ...

Based on size and strength ... the biggest bear on record was a polar bear taken in 1960. It weighed over 2,200 pounds and stood nearly 12 feet on its hind legs.

LOUIS — International Polar Bear Day, Feb. 27 ... They can reach up to 9 feet in length, and their paws are the size of a dinner plate to help them trek across the ice and deep snow.

The top 10 largest bear species, ranked by size and weight, range from the polar bear, standing up to 10 feet tall and weighing over 1,500 pounds, to the sloth bear of the Indian subcontinent.