Irkulyen
The Irkulyen (also spelled Irkujiem ) is a fabulous giant bear that is said to live on the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka . Its existence is controversial. The local Koryaks describe it as a long-legged, fast animal, twice the size of other bears . Irkulyen or Irkuijen means "with the pants down", which refers to the often described fat pockets on the hind legs. Another name, Kainijn-Kutho, means "divine bear". It is identical to the Bergman's Bear .
Sten Bergman
In 1920 , the Swedish zoologist Sten Bergman examined the fur of a giant Kamchatka bear. The differences he noticed from other bears were shorter and darker hair, and the animal was very large. Bergman also found footprints of gigantic proportions. They are said to have been 37 cm long and 25 cm wide. In his description from 1936 , where he called the animal Ursus arctos piscator, he estimated the bear at up to 700 kg.
Rodion Sivobolov
Rodion Siwobolow, a hunter who lives on the coast of the Bering Sea in northern Kamchatka, learned about this animal from the locals and claims to have shot one himself. On August 25, 1989 , he discovered the animal, photographed it several times and then shot it several times. The experienced hunter, who had already shot 69 brown bears, photographed the carcass again and later the peeled fur with it as a size comparison. He noticed the enormous size of the animal and its small head in relation to its body. Siwobolow is sure to have killed an Irkulyen to this day.
NK Vereshchagin was one of the few Russian biologists who received a description of the animal from Sivobolov. Vereshchagin proposed that the Irkulyen could be the extinct Arctodus simus , a giant bear from the Ice Age . Another biologist, Valerij Orlov , suspected the polar bear to be behind the mysterious animal . After Siwobolov sent him photos of the fur, Orlov came to the conclusion that the hunted animal could have been a large brown bear .
The American zoologist and bear expert Paul Ward believes the existence of a large, unknown bear on Kamchatka is likely.
Possible explanations
For many sightings of the giant bear could be
- 1. Be responsible for large specimens of brown bears and polar bears. The largest brown bears in Asia are said to live in Kamchatka . In the Aleutian Islands and on Kodiak Island , researchers found specimens estimated at 750 kg.
- 2. It is possible that a genetic cross between brown and polar bears has developed, which has now formed its own small population on Kamchatka.
- 3. One possible explanation is a mutation of the Kamchatka brown bear, which has formed a subspecies.
- 4. It may be an Arctodus simus or a direct descendant. Since no remains of this giant have yet been found in Asia, scientists continue to assume that the Arctodus only lived in North America.