Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-04-17
Only Kadiak Bear in Captivity.

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Washington has acquired splendid
specimen of the Kadiak bear.
1t is absolutely the only one in cap
tivity.
There is one stuffed specimen in
the National Museum.
The Kadiak bear is the largest car
nivorous animal in existence. He
lives on the lonely island of kadiak'
of the coast Of Alaska, where be is
monarch of all he surveys. The spe-
cies is found nowhere else in the
world but here. Owing to the size
and strength of the beast, his rarity
and the difficulties of transportation,
no live specimen has ever been cap
tured and very few have been shot.
The number of carcases that have
been brought to civilization could cas-
lily be counted on one hand.
a very large Kadiak bear measures
Is feet in length from the end OF his
nose to the end Of his backbone. He
therefore far exceeds in size all other
carnivorous animals, the largest Of
which are the tiger, the grizzly bear
and the polar bear.
A bear of this size, if he stood upon
his hind legs and lifted up one OF his
forepaws, could easily reach % feet.
Imagine how a six-foot man would
appear before such monster, over
three times his height. The bear, it
may be remembered, stands on his
hind legs very readily, and assumes
that position when about to resist an
attack or when he wishes to reach in
to tree.
A well-grown Kadiak bear weighs
FIVE tons. If he took part in tug OF
war be could hold 100 men. His arms
have a crushing power of $4,000
pounds upon an object large enough
to fill them. He could hug to death
two large Percheron horses at once.
His handsome thick brown fur is
practically impervious to steel weap-
ons. Only explosive bullets of large
caliber can be relied upon to kill this
monster.
The Kadiak bear is distinguished
in appearance from other bears by
great massiveness and squareness and
very blunt nose and ears.
Elaborate plans have been made to
catch full-grown Kadiak bear, but
these have so far been unsuccessful
The United States Government, how
ever, has received handsome Kadlak
cub from the Alaska Commercial Com
pany, which has been acting in its be-
half. For over four years the COM
pany has been trying to secure live
bear.
Five hunters started out in pursuit
of this animal. Two days after land
ing they sighted monster female
bear with a well-grown cub. They
shot the mother, hut after che had
two bullets in her body she came at
them with incredible fury. Tower
ing above them, with blazing eyes and
roaring bideously, she was On the point
of annihilating the hunters when three
explosive bullets in the hent stopped
her career.
The cub is about six months old.
a very big animal, he was
good-tempered, owing to his youth,
and comparatively easy to handle.
He was safely shipped and brought
back to this country, and now be is
the most interesting exhibit in the
National Zoo at Washington.
The cub, which, by the way, is al
most, if not quite, as large as one Of
the two full-grown grizzlies at the zoo,
arrived in Washington early last week
and was placed by Superintendent
Baker in one of the two outdoor
cages standing opposite the wild goose
and swan inclosure, and between the
cages occupied by the largest Of the
two grizzlies and th. big puma
The National Zoo has one Of the
finest sites in the world. 1t is in
great boBl-like depression. and trees
cover the sides and edge Of the bowl.
Th. effort to capture full-grown Ka-
diak bear for the Government will
still be kept up. The plan is an in
teresting one. There has been stand
ing on Kadiak Island since last June
great steel cage l6 feet long and 6
feet high, in one end Of which is a
heavy raised grating. which is con-
nected with a trigger in the rear OF
the cage. This trigger is baited with
salmon. When the bear bites the
bait, the steel door will close on him.
The steel cage in which the United