Every child loves a teddy bear. They’re cute and cuddly and oh-so-huggable, and who hasn’t got a soft spot for Yogi Bear, Winnie the Pooh and Paddington? But meet a real-life bear out in the open and you won’t be thinking fluffy cuteness. You’ll be paralysed with fear, and rightly so!
There are eight species of bear and 46 subspecies in the world, and they are bigger, heavier and more aggressive than most other animals. They appear to be lumbering and laid-back, with their melting eyes and fur you could sink your face in, but bears are not to be trusted. They deserve our utmost respect because, in reality, they are highly tuned, fiercely territorial, immensely strong and can run faster than any human.
The smallest and most docile of bears can become ripping, tearing, murder machines if you invade their space. They will use their weight, powerful paws and jaws, dagger-like teeth and razor-sharp claws to respond ferociously to even a hint of danger.
In short, they are all super-specialised defensive killers on very furry legs! If you’re lucky, they might prefer to turn away or make do with a warning dummy charge to see you off. If you’re unlucky, you’re toast.
So, to prepare you for an ursine encounter, here are the bears to look out for, from ‘you’ll probably survive an attack from this one’ to ‘you definitely won’t’!
Deadliest bears in the world
Spectacled Bear
In 10th place is the spectacled Bear. This is the shy bear species from the Andean mountains of South America – the original Paddington, if you will, with white markings in their black or brown fur that look like eyeglasses circling their faces.
They are only 1.2m to 2m (4ft to 6ft) standing upright but males weigh 100kg to 200kg (220 to 440 lbs) so they have some weight to throw around. Females are much smaller and lighter but you still wouldn’t want to tangle with them because both sexes have jaws strong enough to chew through the fibrous plants, palm nuts, tree bark and sugar cane on which they routinely feed. They can also use their weight to bring down some native land mammals such as tapirs, although only a very small proportion of their diet comes from predated meat.
Happily, they prefer to avoid human contact and as they are quite short-sighted with limited hearing, they are the least likely bear to cause you any trouble if you happen to come across them in the wild. There has only been one recorded death ever attributed to a spectacled bear and that was apparently down to an injured bear that had been shot by a hunter.
Giant Panda
If you move up the scale of bear sizes and you’re talking about sheer bulk combined with a relative lack of aggression, the next bear on our ascending list of dangerous ursines is the giant panda. But don’t be fooled by its roly-poly black and white fluffiness and lazy manner. This bear can turn nasty.
- Red panda vs giant panda: what's the difference between these adorable, furry animals?
- It's one of the world's most beloved animals, weighs as much as a a sumo wrestler and has one of the most boring diets on the planet
They can use their huge paws to give you a powerful swipe that would lay out a heavyweight boxer, and pandas have one of the highest bite forces of any carnivore. It comes from having a diet exclusively based on chewing tough and woody bamboo shoots. Their jaws can exert a pressure of 1,300 pounds per square inch (psi). To put that in perspective, the psi of a German Shepherd dog is around 230, so bone-crushing would be a good description of a panda bite.
Not only that, but if one does clamp its jaws on any part of you, there’s a good chance the animal will not let go until it has been driven off or you’re dead.
In 2006, a drunk tourist at Beijing City Zoo climbed into the giant panda enclosure to show off to his friends by patting one of the bears. The panda grabbed his leg and tore off a big chunk of flesh but then wouldn’t let go. It took the combined efforts of the victim and a zoo keeper to distract the panda and persuade it to release him. Extensive plastic surgery and some months later he was sober and wiser.
American Black Bear
The American black bear is the world’s most numerous bear species, with an estimated 750,000 to 950,000 living in Canada and the US. They tend to congregate in groups, unlike other bears that are more solitary.
This, together with their numbers, makes them the ‘bear most likely to be spotted’ on a wilderness walk in North America. They also like hanging round campsites, raiding tents and pulling the doors off cars to find food. Although they generally try hard to avoid humans, many YouTube videos bear witness (pardon the pun) to bears that have been caught on CCTV in people’s gardens, exploring the decking and sometimes enjoying a splash in the family’s paddling pool.
American blacks are not too large – standing perhaps 2m (6ft) tall if they rear up – but they are muscly and strong and will attack if they feel threatened, especially by a hiker with a dog. They are not as aggressive as some of the brown bear species, but because there are a lot of them about they inevitably get involved in people conflicts more than other types of bear.
Statistics produced by the North American Bear Center record 61 people having been killed by black bears since 1900. If that doesn’t sound a lot, be assured that there are many, many more instances of people being mauled if they don’t manage to evade an attack. However, the bear’s aim is normally to see off an invader to protect its cubs, not kill it. They certainly don’t see people as food. Death is an unfortunate consequence of people being more fragile than rival bears.
So you have a good chance of surviving an American black attack, but it will be like being hit by a grand piano with teeth and claws and you won’t escape unscathed!
Brown Bear
It is the brown bear that has been the model for so many children’s stories and soft toys. It is distinguished by its long, thick fur with a mane around its neck, very large paws and a muscular hump on its shoulders. There are many subspecies of brown bears all over the world with difference colourations, ranging from dark brown to cream.
There are an estimated 200,000+ individual brown bears of different types living in Russia, North America and Europe. In the Americas there are thought to be around 58,000 and across eastern Europe some 15,000 to 16,000. Their numbers are slowly growing but, in European countries in particular, their conservation is somewhat controversial. Romania alone has a wild brown bear population of around 6,000 and the rate of attacks on humans is rising.
Between 2016 and 2021, Romania experienced 14 fatalities due to brown bear attacks, six of them in 2019 alone and three of those in just one month. There were a further 158 recorded injuries.
So although there are nowhere near as many brown bears as there are black bears, they have the scarier reputation. The National Park Service in the US estimate that grizzly bears (one of the North American versions of the brown bear) are 21 times more dangerous to humans than black bears. If one manages to get its teeth into you, its bite force is 1,000 psi (pounds per square inch). Not as high as a giant panda’s, but still capable of crushing bone.
The combination of their massive bulk, ability to run at 30mph, paws the size of dinner plates topped by 8cm (3in) curved claws, and jaws that can crush a human skull like an egg, make them the animal you should most fear disturbing on a walk in the woods.
Kodiak Bear
This is the only bear species to live on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska and they are a subspecies of the brown bear. Despite their solitary nature, and the relatively unpopulated areas they inhabit, Kodiaks have a fearsome reputation, mainly because they are so large – up to two times bigger than their other brown bear cousins.
These really are large bears, with a mature male sometimes weighing in excess of 680kg (1,500lb) and standing 2.7m (9ft) tall. If they’re on all fours they can be as tall as a horse and very much broader. Their naturally secluded environment makes the Kodiak generally wary of people, but they have been known to attack solitary hunters with massive swipes from their gigantic paws. One such unfortunate shooter was found killed by a Kodiak in 1999 on Uganik Island.
If not slain by bears, hunters are often injured as they tend to be in the line of fire when a Kodiak detects the game they have shot. The bears have a very varied diet, including carrion and wild salmon so they are often to be found near hunting and fishing grounds. They have also learned to be wary of people with guns as they have been extensively hunted in the past for their pelts and to protect salmon fishing rivers. They are now largely the subject of conservation orders, but they don’t forget…
The rise of remote tourism and wilderness lodges have also brought the bears closer to humans, with the inevitable conflicts that arise from sharing the same space. If anyone thinks they can safely get close enough to a Kodiak bear to take a good photo or even, god forbid, a selfie, they would be making a big mistake.
- I've caught the baby wombat": 10 unbelievably idiotic and reckless acts committed by wildlife tourists that will have your blood boiling
- Don't pet the lion: the rise of the reckless wildlife tourist
Sun Bear
Sunny by name but not by nature – these small bears are not cuddly. In the tropical forests of Southeast Asia they are considered extremely dangerous. They will attack without warning and since they laze about sunbathing and sleeping in trees during the day they can ambush you from an unexpected quarter.
Sun bears have incredibly long canine teeth and a powerful bite force, far greater than would seem to be necessary to assist with their foraging, but this is explained by the fact that they have to break into tropical hardwoods to reach their favourite ants and termites as well as sources of honey. With this force concentrated on the back molars, a bite from a sun bear won’t be a nip or a simple puncture, it will inflict serious tearing damage. The animals also sustain their attacks, so they will continue to maul their victims until they’re sure they no longer pose a danger to themselves or their cubs.
Sun bears are suffering from an increasing loss of habitat as people encroach on their territories, clearing wooded areas, building homes and searching the forests for fungi, fruit and firewood. This has led to an increase in recorded incidents with people. Researchers cite 33 attacks on villagers in the Malayan state of Mizoram between 2000 and 2010 that caused extensive injuries to the victims’ upper bodies, particularly their heads.
This is not surprising as a sun bear’s mode of defence is to stand on its hind legs to its full 1.25m (4ft) height and display its large yellow chest patch in the hope it will appear larger and more intimidating. This puts its large, curved front claws in the perfect position to rake down your face. Beware the sun bear!
Moon Bear (Asian or Himalayan Black Bear)
By comparison to the previous bears in our list, moon bears are quite little. They stand only about three quarters of a metre (3ft) tall and weigh roughly the same as a large human. Because of their small size and intelligence, they have often featured in circuses as performing bears or have been kept as pets.
But people associating with Asian moon bears in this way are dicing with death. These animals can become unbelievably savage if they consider themselves to be in danger. Scientists attribute this tendency towards aggression to stem from the fact that in the wild the bears often live side-by-side with tigers. They are also thought to be more carnivorous than American black bears and will tackle prey animals many times their size.
Moon bears are now protected species in most Asian countries, although they are still kept illegally in some areas as a living supplier of bear bile used in traditional medicine. At one time they were often shot for sport and for their skins. In a letter to The Asian newspaper in 1880, one hunter wrote that they will: “…try to escape when wounded, unless they see the hunter who has fired at them, when many will charge at once, and desperately.
The Himalayan Black Bear will not only do this almost invariably, but often attacks men without any provocation whatever, and is altogether about the most fierce, vicious, dangerous brute to be met with either in the hills or plains of India.”
Several modern cases of moon bear attacks on humans have been recorded, and they frequently exhibit unpredictable behaviour, which makes them all the more dangerous. If they do attack they will rear up on their hind legs and knock their adversary down. They will then savage the victim’s head, neck and arms. In 2006, the first person in China to receive a partial face transplant was mauled by an Asian black bear while protecting his sheep. He was given a new cheek, upper lip, nose and an eyebrow to replace those ripped away by the bear.
Hokkaido Brown Bear and Asiatic Black Bear
For the sheer number of recent casualties, you have to consider these lesser-known subspecies from Asia as major contenders for the title of most dangerous bears. In 2023 the Japanese Environment Ministry recorded an annual figure of 219 people attacked by both brown and black bears, and between the beginning of April and the beginning of November 2025 the number of casualties was published as 196 people, 13 of which sustained fatal injuries.
The population density in Japan has led to aggressive bear encounters becoming more and more common, mainly in the mountainous north but reaching beyond the countryside and villages to much more urban areas as the animals search for food and shelter. Bears have been sighted wandering round school playgrounds, inside supermarkets and even in a hot springs holiday resort.
Bear attacks have always been relatively common in Japan compared to other parts of the world. The worst ever recorded occurred in December 1915 at Sankei in the Sankebetsu district of the island of Hokkaido. Over the course of six days, seven people were attacked and killed in their homes and a further three were injured by a very large brown bear.
The bear’s killing spree ended when it was shot by local police. Taking measurements after death, the villagers noted it weighed 340kg (750lb) and stood 2.7m (nearly 9ft) tall. Unusually, this bear had not only killed but also feasted on its victims, parts of which were found in its stomach. It was said that the villagers dismembered, boiled and ate the bear as revenge for their lost friends and relatives.
Sloth Bear
Now we are stepping up even higher on the aggression scale. Despite their bumbling, fluffy bodies and endearing faces, sloth bears are one of the most aggressive bear species. More attacks on humans are recorded than for any other type of bear. It is thought that poor eyesight and hearing have led to them adopting an ‘attack first, ask questions later’ approach to anyone or anything that comes near them and, as some know to their cost, it works.
Basically, sloth bears show little fear of anything. They will stand their ground against even a charging rhino or elephant and will even charge the intruder back. They will take on an attacking tiger and see it off. When it comes to humans, they will strike without waiting for any provocation and they will do so with no audible or physical warning. Across their range in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal they are consequently given due respect.
The canine teeth of a sloth bear are very long and sharp and can tear apart flesh in a single bite – not bad for a non-carnivorous animal. They have claws that are strong enough to demolish a termite mound so they can easily shred the hide of just about anything, let alone frail human skin and muscle.
Dozens of attacks and deaths occur in the sloth bear region each year, making them one of the most dangerous bears in the world. In a study published in 2000, researchers recorded that in Madhya Pradesh in India alone, between 1989 and 1994 there were 735 sloth bear attacks on humans, of which 48 were fatal.
Polar Bear
Now we get to the most dangerous bear of all. Polar bears stand alone in the bear world in not seeing humans as a threat to themselves or their cubs, a nuisance or a barrier to raiding a picnic box or poaching livestock. They see humans as prey.
- Stunning photos of polar bear families in Canada
- Polar bear guide: where they're found, what they eat, and why they're threatened
Let’s face it, to a polar bear we appear like a slightly less chubby, vertical seal. The fact that we are sometimes encased in a metal box, like a sardine tin on wheels, or on a floating fibreglass crate, is not much of a deterrent to a powerful and intelligent bear.
Polar bears are the largest bear species in the world. They can stand a colossal 3m (10ft) tall and weigh a massive 770kg (1,700lb). They have incredibly sharp teeth and a bite force of about 1,200 psi – that’s 200 psi (or the added bite of a German Shepherd, remember) more than a brown bear. They are designed for ripping apart blubbery seals, so they will make short work of our puny bodies. Foolish humans who underestimate these apex predators won’t live long enough to regret it.
Luckily, attacks are rare due to the remote and inhospitable nature of a polar bear’s habitat. Between 1870 and 2014 a recent study recorded only 73 polar bear attacks of which 20 were fatal. But as the northern oceans warm and the opportunities to hunt seals on the pack ice recede, food becomes more scarce and starving bears are increasingly driven towards human habitation and the chance of an easy meal.
In 2024, two polar bears killed an employee of a remote Arctic radar station in Canada and this was the second deadly bear attack in North America since 2023 when an Alaskan woman and her young son were killed in their village.
Aware of the bears
In conclusion, whatever its size, whatever its normal diet, however remote its habitat and however much it prefers to avoid human contact, a bear is a killing machine given the right circumstances.
However, your chances of survival in a bear encounter do depend on the balance of all the factors listed above. There are non-lethal defence methods available to deter most attacks if you’re lucky but mainly, if you’re wise, you’ll steer clear.
There is a popular saying that puts things in perspective. It’s called The Three Colour Bear Rule: “If it’s brown, lay down. If it’s black, fight back. If it’s white, goodnight.”
Nuff said?
