Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 7:59:28 GMT -5
 Look at what the brown bears 'blunt' claws can do. Picture credited to Ursus Artos. |
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Post by King Kodiak on Jun 22, 2020 18:21:08 GMT -5
ALASKA PENINSULA BROWN BEAR-KATMAI NATIONAL PARK. THIS ONE IS A WARRIOR.
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Post by tom on Jun 23, 2020 7:27:38 GMT -5
Yeah you might say that. Looks like hes been scalped.  |
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Post by brobear on Nov 3, 2020 4:26:57 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Nov 5, 2020 7:25:49 GMT -5
Frontal shot of "Van" from "The Great Bear Stakeout": ( #432 ) has an ear probably disfigured from a fight. The battle-scared bear ( #426 ) has two good ears. I'll bet these two have met  |
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 7:29:46 GMT -5
brobear Do you know how old the picture of the battle-scared bear (#3 ) is?
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Nov 5, 2020 7:37:56 GMT -5
brobear Do you know how old the picture of the battle-scared bear (#426) is? I think Van is probably an old bear. I don’t remember his exact age but Brobear does. |
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 7:39:03 GMT -5
@thegreenagriotherium
I know, Van is in the last stages of his life right now but the bear in reply #426 is a different specimen; that's why I asked.
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 7:40:10 GMT -5
This is one of the latest pictures of Van (June 2019):  |
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Post by brobear on Nov 5, 2020 7:40:11 GMT -5
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 7:41:53 GMT -5
He is estimated to be above 20 years of age and already past his prime I guess; but still a menacing old warrior not ready to give up just yet.
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Post by tom on Nov 5, 2020 9:56:44 GMT -5
He is estimated to be above 20 years of age and already past his prime I guess; but still a menacing old warrior not ready to give up just yet. Do we know for sure if Van is still alive? |
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 10:24:29 GMT -5
_@tom I am uncertain about that; his last official sighting was by the photographer who shared some pictures of him in June 2019 (he was still breeding with the females back then but some younger males were already starting to drive him off). You can read more about it here: www.alaskabearsandwolves.com/van-is-back-first-day-of-bear-season-katmai-2019/I follow the photographer's Youtube channel (he is a great guy) and he himself has stated that Van is the biggest bear he has ever seen (he has followed him from just about sexual maturity until now).
"This bear is past his prime, but 6 years ago he was by far the biggest bear I have ever seen in my life. In his prime he exceeded 1500 lbs." |
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 10:36:43 GMT -5
Here he is with a female; still an absolutely enormous brown bear:  |
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Post by King Kodiak on Nov 5, 2020 10:42:30 GMT -5
Wow that's great info Taker. I dont know why but i always thought he was a little bigger than average for a Peninsula grizzly, like more than 900 lbs or something. This is great.
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 10:44:53 GMT -5
King Kodiak He'd probably weigh around 900lbs nowadays but in his prime, absolutely no way; every exhibitonist/photographer/park official has said he absolutely dwarfed all the other male bears in Katmai National Park, he was the undisputed king and has passed his genes onto many future generations.
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Post by brobear on Nov 5, 2020 10:46:21 GMT -5
I am curious to see who will take the throne after this van-sized "Boss of the Woods" retires. |
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Post by tom on Nov 5, 2020 10:48:30 GMT -5
Just looking at Van today and it's not hard to tell just how many battles he's been in. Bears like Van may not come along every generation of Bears. It would be interesting to see if anyone has followed some of his male offspring.
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 5, 2020 10:50:16 GMT -5
This is my favourite picture of him; you can see that this bear would have a story to tell.  |
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Post by King Kodiak on Nov 5, 2020 10:52:26 GMT -5
So Van in his prime exceeded 1500 lbs, that would be the normal max weight for an Alaska Peninsula or Kodiak bear. That would had made him more terrifying. No wonder he was the dominant bear for so long at Katmai.
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