Black, brown and polar bears

Species

• Black bear (americanus)

  Black bears are one of the three species of bear found in North America. If running away from an American black bear, the last thing you want to do is climb a tree - they are expert climbers! Fortunately, they are less aggressive than some other bear species.

• Brown bear (arctos)

  Brown bears are second only in size to polar bears. They are among the largest living land carnivores - although their diet is really omnivorous.

• Polar bear (maritimus)

  Polar bears are the largest living land carnivores and have a reputation as the only animal that actively hunts humans, assuming anything they encounter to be potential prey. Polar bears can eat a diet pretty much entirely composed of seal blubber without getting heart disease, as seal fat is naturally polyunsaturated.