Did you know that today (February 27) is The International
Polar Bear Day?
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| Photo of polar bear by Alan Wilson from EOL |
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) grows up to 2.6 m and can be simply
recognized by a thick white fur. Together with Kodiak bear, the polar bear is the
largest land carnivore (order Carnivora). Polar bears are widespread in the whole
Arctic region. They prefer floating pack ice which they use for traveling.
Thus, their geographic range usually reaches the southern area of floating ice.
These mammals usually
live solitarily and have a great smell. This sense is useful when searching for
prey. Polar bears mainly feed different species of seals but they also feed small
whales, birds and walruses. Main hunting technique is waiting near a hole in
the ice on prey. If necessary, the bears can survive for a long time with their
fat reserves, only.
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| Listen to the voice of the polar bear on Europeana |
While males of polar
bears grow up to mentioned 2.6
meters, females are roughly half that size. They usually
give birth to one to three cubs from November to January. Female takes care for
the cubs for 2.5 years. It is a well-known fact that these bears can live up to
thirty years. Polar bear population is currently between 20 to 25 thousand individuals.
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| Polar bear and its prey from BHL |
If you are interested
in polar bears and other arctic animals, see Northwest Passage, NortheastPassage and Conquering of North pole in BLE – Expeditions. Stay tuned!
