Did you know there was a bear that was up to 3,500 pounds and was about 11 feet tall standing up? It is called the giant short-faced bear. And it was found in South America. The largest bear on record in modern times was a 2,200 pound Polar Bear that was shot in Alaska in the 19th century. The South American giant short-faced bear plowed through its continent about 500,000 to 2 million years ago and would have been the largest and most powerful meat-eater on land at the time. He ran 30 mph, which is faster than a horse. He was taller than a basketball hoop, and it could smell a carcass 6 miles away. But sadly, the giant short-faced bear is now extinct.
