I had one son who totally believed he was part wolf. We were at a BBQ and he was telling my friends husband about his special powers. He insisted that the man hide and he would find him. The guy hides and my son comes out goes to the middle of the yard and puts his nose in the air to catch his scent. He takes off on all fours (btw, he could move, he was as fast as a kid running on two legs.) Gallops around the yard and finds him. It was hysterical, the BBQ was with HS friends and none of them had kids yet. Another time we were separated from my brother at an airshow and he told me not to worry because he would sniff him out.
Needless to say, he’s 17 now and he is not a wolf.
So, I didn't become a bear, largely because there never seemed to be any bears in my neighborhood. If there were, I would be feeding and walking bears, no doubt.
I've found it is possible to remain a human male, get a job and still realize my childhood ambitions. If my parents had dressed me as a bear and sent me to school, who knows how that would have turned out.
Did you also have one that’s part panther? or where did you get your name?