A person who tends, raises, or manages bears; someone responsible for caring for captive bears in medieval times or in modern zoos.
From bear combined with herd (Old English 'heord', meaning 'guardian' or 'keeper'). The occupation existed in medieval times when nobles kept bears for baiting and entertainment.
Medieval kings employed bearherds as prestigious positions—keeping a exotic bear was expensive and impressive, and bearbaiting was a popular sport with the nobility!
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