I'm not sure why you reiterated your point; I wasn't trying to argue with it or anything.

Yes, DT. That, and the fact that polar bears are almost never actually seen that far south of the Arctic Circle, except when the Bering Sea and Norton Sound freeze over and there is a lot of heavy snow and ice in the region. Even then, it's still rare.

Additionally, since grizzlies, other brown bears, and black bears hibernate in the cold months, and this is obviously set in late January (in keeping with the real history), we're dealing with a case (albeit a fictional one) of a bear being disturbed from its hibernation cycle. Bears which are so disturbed are known to be dangerously aggressive.

I can think of one other difference. If I remember right, polar bears have more thrusting power in their forelimbs, whereas grizzlies are more built for swiping - and have a hump of muscle to facilitate this. I believe that's because polar bears tend to push against ice (either to make holes in it or to pull pretty such as seals through it) whereas grizzlies often tear open rotting logs to get at insects inside. So depending on the situation, a grizzly might make a more formidable foe. In any event, I daresay swipes are more dramatic than straight-arm attacks. So if nothing else, the grizzly mae more sense for excitement value.

What is "Heritage of the Wolf"?

The scene was created for the sake of giving Balto a challenge to deal with, and create some tense moments during their journey. And in fact, as anyone who has been fortunate enough to survive an attack by a grizzly bear can tell you, they can be as ferocious as any bear species. And are closely related to polar bears (polar bears are believed to have evolved from them). The only difference is that food is much harder to come by in the arctic, so polar bears tend to be more willing to confront and hunt humans. Whereas other bears will generally avoid humans IF they make enough noise when in the presence of bears.

I agree with you, Mighty. But in my opinion, this scene is not so dramatic like "Heritage of the wolf" (for me, it's just masterpiece). Plus. Polar bears are much more agressive than grizzies. But your version I like.

I'm sure that scene was created for drama, and to make Balto's journey more of a challenge. And the movie is set in Alaska, so it isn't uncommon for bears to be roaming about (even though bears would be hibernating that time of the year).