Old Ben is the bear

Bear

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...

 around which revolve the events of William Faulkner

William Faulkner

William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...

's short story The Bear.

Old Ben has a mangled, two-fingered paw from being previously caught in a bear trap. He was shot 52 times before finally being felled by Boon Hogganbeck and Lion, the wild dog tamed by Sam Fathers, who was Old Ben's nemesis for several years.