Alaska’s Abundant Land Wildlife

Alaska’s Plethora of Land Wildlife!

There is probably no place on earth with more wildlife than Alaska–even Africa. Yearly, Alaska’s abundant wildlife attracts thousands of the most avid hunters and sightseers. Worldwide, people flock to Alaska to experience both vastness and wildness. Literally, Alaska is a “bucket list” destination for adventure seekers.

Even though Alaska’s glaciers, mountains, and wilderness regions get a lot of press, her wildlife continues to be a huge draw. From salmon filled waters, to bears and moose, forest animals by the score, and birds of the air there is virtually no limit to wildlife in Alaska.

My childhood was spent in Alaska, and I served ten tourist seasons as an Alaskan shipboard naturalist. During all these years, I personally experienced a TON of wildlife–up close and personal. This blog addresses some of the most commonly seen land animals in Alaska, as well as some of the rarest. Whether aboard ship, from an airplane, or just hiking, I captured ALL the photo and video in this post. Whale Watching in SE Alaska is another one of my blogs. Eventually, there will be blogs about sea and sky life. For now, though, this blog is all about land animals. Each animal mentioned in this blog is wild with one exception.

Alaska’s Land Wildlife: Alaska’s Bears

There is a variety of bears in Alaska; black bears, brown bears, Kodiak bears, and grizzly bears.

Black bears are most predominant; in fact; nearly 100,000 of them live in Alaska! They are the smallest of all bears; usually standing about 2.5 feet high and about five feet from nose to tail. Regardless of their average size, it is not uncommon to see a much larger black bear. Males are larger than females. Black bears hibernate in the fall and usually weigh over 200 pounds at that time. They lose about 20 per cent of their weight in hibernation. Although most of them are black, their color can vary to white and brown-cinnamon colored.

There is a fine line among Alaska brown bears, Kodiaks, and grizzlies. They are so similar that I am addressing them together. These bears are all bigger and more ferocious than black bears. Alaska naturalists and guides use this phrase: “If it’s black; fight back. If it’s brown; lay down.” Regardless, black or brown, just do not mess with wild animals–especially bears.

Brown bears are a species of their own. The shape of their face and nose along with their puffy ears rather than the black bears’ more pointed ears makes them easy to identify. Remember; some black bears can be cinnamon colored. Brown bears are larger than black, standing as tall as nine feet, and their skull is quite wide.

Kodiak bears are a subspecies of brown bears. Presently, there are only around 3,500. Consequently, this makes the Kodiak bear an endangered species. The absolute best place in the world to see them is in Katmai National Park on Kodiak Island. There are more than 2,200 Kodiak bears there! Visits to this park are for photography or research only and are expensive. They must be booked months and years in advance. So far, I have not been to Katmai, but if I ever get there, you can bet I’ll write a blog about it.

Kodiak bears are HUGE. Even though the average size is about ten feet when standing on its hind legs, they can be larger. In fact, the largest recorded Kodiak stood 14 feet high, weighed over 2,500 pounds, and it’s hind paws were 18 inches!

Polar bears are found along the Arctic Ocean. Their population is similar to that of the Kodiak. So, they, too, are an endangered species. To date, the only place I’ve seen a polar bear is in a zoo. Like Katmai, if I EVER see a polar bear in the wild, I will most assuredly write a blog about it!

Alaska’s Land Wildlife: Malamutes and Huskies

Sled dogs, both malamutes and huskies, are an integral part of Alaskan life. Both historically and even in the 21st Century, dogs play a vital role in Alaska. Even though malamutes, huskies, and other such dogs are not “wild,” they are seldom pets. Rather, they are reliable friends and necessary members of many households. For many they protect and warn their owners of impending danger from wild animals.

Before the arrival of the bush plane, sleds and their dogs were Alaska’s safest form of transportation. This is especially true in the vast Interior. However, in Alaska’s Panhandle and the Aleutians, water is still the best form of transportation.

Sled dogs can RUN–up to 100 miles at a time; they are indomitable, beautiful, and truly amazing. The malamute is larger than the Siberian husky, but they can be teamed together. Sled drivers and their teams were made famous by Iditarod Race.

This race began in 1925 with attempts to get serum from Anchorage to Nome before diphtheria wiped out the village. This race continues for sport each year in memory of that first historic race. A new race, the Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race, began in 1987. This race is between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and is for sport also! Each race requires a great deal of training and preparation.

Other Alaska’s Land Wildlife I’ve Seen & Photographed:

Other Alaska Blogs by Kathy Slamp:

If you enjoy this blog, I invite you to visit five other Alaska Blogs on this site: College Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Cruising in Alaska, Skagway, Gateway to the Klondike

Alaska Books & Video by Kathy Slamp:

Click here to visit Kathy’s Alaska Bookstore; here you will find four different books and two discounted offers. These books are LOVED by thousands. Her two “Little House” books are true adventure stories from a bygone era. They contain NO profanity, NO sex scenes, and NO violence. In addition to these popular two books, Kathy also has an adorable and educational picture book for early readers and preschoolers, AND a great book about Alaska’s glaciers.