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Description: The Polar Bear is made for life in the Arctic. Males are huge, hulking predators that can weigh up to 1,700 pounds and reach 10 feet in length. Polar Bear are incredible swimmers and have no problem swimming the Arctic waters for miles at a time. Polar Bears use their front paws to paddle and their back paws to steer while in the water. They are also fast runners and can reach speeds in excess of 25 miles per hour. Scientists estimate the world population of Polar Bears at about 25,000. The Polar Bear is well camouflaged in its Arctic habitat. It is entirely white or slightly off-white with black eyes, a black tongue, and a conspicuous black nose. The head is small and the tail is barely noticeable. Polar Bears have an excellent sense of smell and can detect seals from long distances. Polar Bears have thick, woolly fur close to the skin to keep it warm, and hollow outer hairs that keep water away from the skin. Like most Arctic animals, the Polar Bear has a thick layer of fat that helps to keep it warm in sub-freezing temperatures. Habitat/Range: The Polar Bear is found primarily north of the Arctic Circle, in the frozen lands and ocean of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and Eurasia. In Canada, Polar Bears may congregate at coastal spots along the Hudson Bay. At Churchill, Manitoba, tour buses take people to the shores of the bay to view wild Polar Bears. Diet: Polar Bears are powerful and fearless Arctic predators. They feed primarily on seals and young walruses. Polar Bear hunting techniques are legendary. They often times wait hours at breathing holes carved by seals. When a seal comes to the surface for oxygen, the bear seizes it by the head in its jaws and drags it out of the water. Polar Bears may stalk their prey for hours before striking. Sometimes, Polar Bears will take a baby walrus from a colony of hundreds, despite the slashing tusks of the adults. Polar Bear leftovers are eaten by other Polar Bears, Ravens and Arctic Foxes. Young/Reproduction: Female Polar Bears give birth to twin cubs every year. The cubs weigh less than one pound at birth. Cubs drink their mother's mile for 15-18 months. Female Polar Bears are very protective of their young and may attack any threat. Nevertheless, 60 percent of Polar Bear cubs die in their first year of life.
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