The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America and is the largest land-based predator on earth. There are several recognized subspecies within the brown bear species. While the brown bear's range has shrunk and it has faced local extinctions, it remains listed as a least concern species by the IUCN with a total population of approximately 200,000. The brown bear's principal range includes parts of Russia, India, China, Canada, the United States (mostly Alaska), Scandinavia and the Carpathian region (especially Romania), The brown bear is recognized as a national and state animal in several European countries. It is the most widely distributed of all bears