Kodiaks hibernate for half the year. When they awaken they are famished and start eating roots and berries as they move downward. As summer draws near they feed on salmon, which gives them most of their nutrients. This is especially important to the female, as her eggs will not be fertilized during her 2-week breeding season if she has not stored enough fat. They live exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago and have been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years.
Male bears are called boars, females are sows, and youngsters are cubs.
Kodiak bears are the largest bears in the world. A large male can stand over 10' tall when on his hind legs, and 5' when on all four legs. They weigh up to 1,500 pounds. The oldest boar was 27. They actually spend more time eating grass, plants and berries than meat.