Bear

"Know that ditty about the bear 'climbing the mountain, to see what he could see?' Biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard. When a bear climbs a mountain, it's not to see. It's to hunt/ To kill."

- Jahne Oldak, Royal Huntsman

Bears are omnivores - this means that they will eat anything from vegetation, to other wild animals and even humans. Generally when they go after humans for a meal, they prefer to go after travellers who have unknowingly wandered into the bear's territory, or brave hunters that have decided to go after the bear.

There are a bunch of bear subspecies, this includes black, polar, brown and cave as well as a much more rare species the Berserker. Each type differs in everything from colouring to size and strength, but they all share one trait which is an incredible ability to kill.

Bears are generally found far from human habitation, either in the high mountains or in the deep woods. Opposite of dogs and wolves, bears are solitary creatures, which is probably for the best considering how strong a killing machine they are. It is simple enough a thing to avoid fighting a bear, but that is not always the case. A bear may be clumsy but they run at high speeds despite their bulky sizes, so running away may not always be an option, especially if you have already angered the bear.

Combat Tactics
Any bear (though even more so a Berserker), will prove to be an admirable foe, they possess great vitality, amazing strength and are quick to anger if you find yourself within their territory. It is best to avoid a head on attack with a bear, try and dodge the swipes of their claws and cut at their flanks.

The signs Igni and Yrden are not necessarily weaknesses, however they do have their uses when going up against a bear. Igni can be used to light the bear on fire, which will temporarily stun it and allow you to move in for flanking strikes. Yrden can be used to slow the bear down just enough to make it easier on you to evade their paws.

While fighting a bear, if it stands up on its hind legs, it is about to smash to the ground with its fore-paws. When doing this they can come down with such force, that even a veteran Witcher can be knocked to their backside.

Ultimately bears are very territorial, just stepping inside their domain can and will incite aggression, but if you spot the bear early enough it can be fairly easy to avoid a fight.'