There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
My vote is for the brown bear. When I read about the fierce grizzlies of the American West before the simultaneous invention of modern rifles and California gold rush, I know that the grizzly was once an even larger and more aggressive bear than those we know today. This also holds true for the European brown bear which was venerated by the ancient and medieval peoples of that area. It took a long and bloody war against the bear to reduce him to the modern, mostly vegetarian honey-eater that he is today.
The brown bear once lived alongside the giant cave bear. It was the brown bear who survived. In North America, the grizzly outlasted the giant short-faced bears. Global Climate Change is now a threat to the natural world. Of all the bears, mighty king of the arctic appears to be in the greatest danger.
The brown bear has coexisted with lions, tigers, scimitar cats, saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, and giant hyenas. Yet, he remains with us to this day. He is a great survivor.