The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-07

Cub OF the Kediak Bear Received at
the National Zoo.
shington Post.

Washington Post.
The first live specimen OF the Kadiak
bear, the largest carnivore in existence.
reached the National Zoo last week from
Sitka, Alaska, a gift OF the Alaskan Com
mercial Company. For over four years
the company had sought TO secure spec
linen Of this animal for the National Zoo.
but it was not until the latter part OF
January that they succeeded. This was
accomplished by sending a party OF trained
hunters TO kadiak island along about the
hrst of the year. a few days after the
expedition landed they succeeded in killing
female, capturing and taking her six
months-old cub. The mother measured
twelve feet I'm length. The cub which, by
the way is almost il not quite. as large
as one Of the two full-grown grizzlies at
the zoo, arrived in this city early last
week and was placed by Superintendent
Baker in one OF the two outdoor cages.
STANDING opposite the wild goose and swan
Enclosure and between the cages occupied
big puma.
In many respects this acquisition Is one
Tor II must be borne i'm mind. that the
hadiak bear was discovered only six years
ago. Al that time the diseoverer. DIR. &.
Hart Merriam. OF the division OF biology
and entomology of the Department OF
Agriculture. had undertaken a systematic
study OF the fauna OF Alaska, concerning
which at that time very little was known.
in the course OF his investigation ne dis
covered that for many years the Alaska
Commercial Company had been receiving
bear skins from the then little known
kadiak island the extreme northwest
coast OF Alaska. which. from their enor-
nous size ana some peculiarities of color.
seemed TO be OF a new variety. altogether
different from the black and grizzly bears.
Pushing his investigation further, DR..
Merriam discovered that such was really
the case. and that on Kadiak island there
lived a species OF bear that in point OF
size was not only larger than the largest
grizzly that ever lived, but. what was more.
was the largest carnivOre in existence,
adult males standing sixteen hands at the
shoulders and measuring from twelve TO
fifteen feet in length.
1t remained, however. for the Hartman
expedition of 1897 10 visit Kadiak island
and to and describe this animal i'm its
native haunts, securing the following addi-
tional facts: Aside from his enormous
size, the Kadiak bear is peculiar In two
other respects-most bears have a very
extensive range, the polar bear inhabiting
every part OF the arctic, the black bear
the whole of North America. the brown
bear all of Europe and the greater part OF
Asia. while even the little "Bruang." or
sloth bear, ranges over four Of the larger
East Indian islands, the Malay peninsula,
Burmah, Siam and Cochin China.
Not so with the Kadiak bear. whose
habitat IS confined strictly 10 the island
from which he derives his name. Again. in
spite OF his great size. the Kadiak bear is
comparatively harmless. He lives almost
entirely on fish, varying his diet in the
summer season with berries and wild
plants. In color this animal is a rich
golden brown. The Hartman expedition
sent the skin of a Kadiark cub. an animal
about two-thirds grown, TO the National
Museum. which, within the past year, was
stuffed, mounted and placed in "A case
along with specimens Of other varieties
of the ursine family. In visiting the mu-
scum one will notice that the Kadiak cub
is a trihe larger than the full-grown
grizzly in the same case and very much
larger than the stuffed polar bear stand
ing the right.