Kodiak Bear Facts

What do Kodiak Bears Eat?

It is a common misconception that Kodiak bears are carnivores, meaning that they eat other animals exclusively. Actually, Kodiak bears eat grass, berries, and other foliage more than they eat other animals. Kodiak bears, like all bears, use the most nutritious parts of what they eat to optimize their growth.

The Kodiak bear eats grass during their rapid growth in the spring. Berries, when they are most ripe and filled with sugar, are consumed by the bears as well. Though Kodiak bears rarely expend the effort to chase down living food, they eat the internal organs of other large animals such as cows, elk, and deer if they can scavenge them. Also, as with other bears, Kodiak bears love to eat fish. Salmon are particularly attractive to the large brown bears. The brains and eggs are the most desirable parts for Kodiak bears to eat. Due to the large abundance of food on the Kodiak islands, the hunting ranges of Kodiak bears are some the smallest of all brown bears. They also don’t need to defend their territories as food is plentiful, and there is always something for Kodiak bears to eat.