Largest carnivore on land
Who
Ursus maritimus, Polar bear
Where
Not Applicable (Not Applicable)

The largest terrestrial carnivore is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Adult males typically weigh 400–600 kg (880–1,320 lb), and have a nose-to-tail length of 2.4–2.6 m (7 ft 10 in–8 ft 6 in). The male Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), a subspecies of brown bear found on Kodiak Island and the adjacent Afognak and Shuyak islands, in the Gulf of Alaska, USA, is usually shorter in length than the polar bear but more robustly built.

The largest carnivore overall is the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina). Bulls of this species – the largest pinnipeds – have an average length of 5 m (16 ft 4 in) and weigh up to 3,500 kg (7,720 lb).

Technically, both polar bears and elephant seals are "semi-aquatic animals" dividing their time between land and water, so some would argue that the southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore on land. However, while elephant seals remain close to the water on the shore at all times, polar bears are capable of surviving hundreds of kilometres inland, and indeed are increasingly being forced to as sea-ice continues to diminish.

Pic: Alamy