Bears have become one of the most loved figures in the world especially after US President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt refused to shoot a young bear as a hunting trophy. The story was that people brought the cub to the president but he refused to shoot the poor thing. That incident spawned the very popular stuffed toy that a lot of people like, the teddy bear.

Here are some interesting bear facts I've collected over the Internet. I bet a lot of you don't know some of these.

- Pigs and bears may not be related but the terms "boar" and "sow are used for males and females, respectively.

- Some bears make nests in trees, like birds. They bend down tree branches and make sitting areas so they can sit and sleep on them. Not all bears do this, however. Only some species of Asiatic, sun bears, and black bears make nests for their habitats.

- Bears spread seeds that grow to be their food in a while. Unlike humans who plant seeds to grow plants, bears eat acorns and fruits and dump their waste taking the seed along with it. The waste material provides the seed with enough material to grow into a new plant.

-Although koalas are called koala bears, they're not actually of the same species. Koalas are marsupials, not bears.

- Bears communicate through the use of body language, scent, grunts, and tongue clicks. You can actually determine the mood of the bear just from the sound that they make. This will help you decide whether to back off or not. Not all bears are the same, however, as some bear species are quite aggressive.

- Bear attacks rarely happen. It only becomes aggressive when the animal feels like it is being threatened or protecting its cubs. The warning signs provided by lawyers in National Parks are almost always concerned with the liabilities involved in such occurring so they are often excessive and create unnecessary fear.

- A bear's gall bladder can be used in manufacturing medicine. They are very valuable but the downside is that some species became endangered out of excessive hunting.

- A polar bear will wait near a seal's breathing hole and attack once the seal pokes its head for a breath.

- Panda bears usually eat bamboos but will also eat meat when given the chance. The main reason for pandas becoming extinct is the destruction of bamboo forests making way for industrialization. The pandas, losing their primary source of food, die from starvation.

- The sloth bear is the only species of bears that was classified under the genus Melursus because of its habits and the abnormal shape of its claws. Baloo of "Jungle Book" is an example of a sloth bear.

- Popular bears include the Care Bears, Winnie the Pooh, Yogi Bear and Booboo, Paddington Bear, Smokey the Bear, Gummi bears, and the Berenstain Bears.

Bears have always been popular among children as stuffed toys or in animated cartoons. Big Sky Carver's Bearfoots Collection also makes use of bears for their designs. The black bear d'cor is often shown with the bear doing something comical, like playing golf or basketball. Bear d'cor now not only includes bearskin rugs or trophies, but also tables and figurines. There are also notepads and plushies for kids of all ages.