Brown bear and cubs, Denali National Park and Preserve, 2015.

Brown bears and grizzly bears are classified as the same species (Ursus arctos) even though they may have notable differences between them. Kodiak bears are a distinct subspecies (on the Kodiak archipelago) from the mainland species. Brown bears are the largest terrestrial member of the order carnivoran, which includes 280 species of placental mammals. It is widely-distributed throughout northern Eurasia and North America, though various local populations have shrunk or faced extinction. The total population hovers around 200,000 individuals (as of 2012). The brown bear and American black bear are the only two bears not classified as 'threatened' by the IUCN.