There are eight species throughout the world: Asian black bears (also called moon bears), brown bears, giant pandas, North American black bears, polar bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears (also called Andean bears), and sun bears.

A group of bears is known as a sleuth or sloth. Although they do not hunt cooperatively or live in large family groups, it is not uncommon for unrelated adults to spend time together.

Grizzly bears have a biting force of over 1200 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch)--enough to crush a bowling ball!

The largest bear on record in modern times was a 2200 lb (998 kg) polar bear shot in Alaska in the 19th century. A close second would be the brown bear, specifically the Kodiak bear which is native to Alaska.

The Chinese government owns nearly all the giant pandas on earth. American zoos will pay up to $1 million a year to rent just one. Most sign 10-year "panda diplomacy" contracts, and if any baby cubs are born, they pay an additional one-time $400,000 baby tax.

Sun bears use their remarkable 8 to 9 inch tongues to extract termites, beetle and bee larvae, and some types of fruits.

Despite some rare spill-over into eastern Panama, spectacled bears are mostly restricted to certain areas of northern and western South America. They can range in western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. The species is found almost entirely in the Andes Mountains.

Debby was a female polar bear that lived in the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg. In August 2008 the Guinness World Records certified her as not only the oldest polar bear, but one of the three oldest individuals ever recorded of all eight bear species. After being diagnosed with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in November 2008, she was euthanized at the age of 41 years old.

Despite its immense size, a grizzly bear can reach top speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. The fastest human being alive, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, can get to top speeds of a little over 27 miles per hour.

The Asian black bear is black, has a light brown muzzle and a distinct white patch on the chest, which sometimes has the shape of a V. It is also known as the "moon bear" or "white-chested bear".