I'm not sure where to start, but I'll see what I can dig up.

I would love to see some documentation that refers to "outsized" grizzlies. From what I heard, they are coming in smaller generally speaking...though I don't have source material at this time to back that up.

Well, there have been reports of outsized grizzlies for quite some time now, all the way back to when the natives were the only people in those parts. So it's not quite outside the realm of possibility. Still, chances are you're right and it was done for artistic effect.

As for the size difference, good to know.

Not that it matters much in a fictional setting (depending upon the individual artist or author), but in the case of bears, and specifically GRIZZLY and other brown bear subspecies, the males are noticeably larger than the females. It is said that females will defend their cubs against a hungry or agitated male, but often prefer to beat a hasty retreat with the cubs in tow when a male is in the vicinity, as the female would be poorly matched against a full-grown male. That is a matter of fact.

But I think Cat is on target here too...the bear seen in the first Balto movie was probably over-sized in order to create an intimidation factor on screen. Because not even a full-grown grizzly or Kodiak bear is quite that large.

As to it being "black" (based on another comment)? I think that's just artistry and setting a mood with colors and shadows. Grizzlies can run a variety of colors anyway. But given the ears, the body structure and so on, including the location it was in? It was definitely a grizzly bear.

I was being facetious. Just pointing out the lack of reason in the bear treating said death as if it were deliberate malice or something.

On the gender issue, I think it makes sense. In some species, the females are bigger and tougher. I don't know if that's true of grizzlies, but it would make sense since the females often have to drive the males away to make sure the males don't harm their cubs.

Cat - Thanks for the comment xD Whoever said females had to be beautiful to be females? After all, in the animal world females are usually the 'ugly' ones.

Moss - Thank you C: I probably will

As said before, I love your fake screenshots, they are made so beautifully.
That is a well thought out story, and I really hope you make more images about it.

I think it's a great story. Tho I've always perceived the bear as male from the movie, I am not opposed to it being female. After all, the Koda's mom from Brother Bear was as grotesque as a bear can get, and it pulled off being female too hahaha. (Admittedly the size of this grizzly was...pretty exaggerated in some parts for the sake of intimidation, and in other parts inconsistently larger than it was in /other/ parts. Heck in some parts the bear could fit Jenna's ENTIRE BODY in his mouth xD And assuming she's a standard Siberian Husky size, that's eh. Not a likely size for a grizzly, but possible.)

JC has it down. Olauk was with her mother when Balto, Boris, Muk & Luk came near. That's why the black bear (Olauk's Mother) was so defensive and tried to shoo the four away. That being, Olauk watched her mother die before her.

Olauk wasn't a cub, though, so she was able to take care of herself. Since her mother's death shes sworn to chase off any canines that cross her path.

I think the idea here, DT, is that -- in theory at least -- the now adult grizzly somehow found out that Balto was responsible (directly or otherwise) for its mothers' death (under presumption that the bear seen in the first Balto movie was even female, which was not officially established). Balto, as we know, didn't drag the bear onto the ice, the bear followed him onto it in its fury. Its size, given the physical attributes of real-world grizzlies, when compared with two Siberian Huskies...or one and wolf dog with Siberian Husky in him, suggests a male however. Male bears are larger than females.

It is an interesting side story. But whether or not the original bear was a female, and whether or not one of "her" cubs could even have found out about the situation leading to its mother's death, consists of a heck of a lot of gray area...