Disclaimer;
Art by HejHyena
I reserve the right to my werebear Dasha

To many indigenous cultures and some superstitious hunters; the werebear story is very much believed but much rarer than the germanic werewolf tale
It is believed rather than a bite although bites can turn people,  the transformation into one is done through a ritual of drinking bear blood in a circle of candles on a moonless night
As you know bears are dangerous but werebears are even more so, the effects are often a gamble some turn into rage filled werebears without much control, unlike werewolves they are solitary and do not need a pack
Others can retain independence
It is believed it has to due to a person's character
Their lore therorizes that werebears are across Siberia, Scotland and wooded areas such as England and even rarely still the US
In solitary locations