Andal bear

Andal bears are an omnivorous species of bear related to brown bears. They roam the forests and plains of the northern region of the continent and hibernate during the winter.

They are different from brown bears in that they grow to be 6-6.5 feet tall at the hump and when standing can be 9 feet tall. Males weigh in between 600-1,100 pounds and females weigh between 500-950 pounds. Their life spans are incredibly long-some historical records claiming they can live well into their 90s to 100s. You can tell a bear has reached past his prime when they have grown a thick layer of moss along with fungi on their backs, around the ages of 50 years they will grow this extra hide. It's unsure why their backs grow this but some say it's that their thick moist fur attracts fungi and moss because they spend most of their time in thick humid forests. Before their pelts have grown the thick layer of vegetation upon them, they are considered very valuable by tribesmen, hunters, merchants, and nobles, who wouldn't mind having an andal bear rug in their living room.

Andal bears are the top predators of the north next to direwolves and humans, often competing with first for food. Their size makes them voracious eaters. They can take down large animals like musken and elk and dine on the massive 4 foot river salmon during the spring and summer time when they travel down streams to mate and lay eggs. While they are ominvores, consuming berries and fallen fruit, meat makes up a large part of their diet. They are formidable predators and could easily kill a human if they wanted to. Not only are they more intelligent than their smaller cousins, but they are much more territorial.