The Polar Bear

Polar Bears live in the far North Pole and in Arctic. They live in Iceland, Hudson's Bay and Arctic Sea ice, and depend entirely on the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean. They use it as a platform to breed, raise their young, hunt and travel. They are one of the most powerful animals in the world. Their strength is incredible and yet they are one of the most loving and caring animals around. Polar bears are on the endangered species list. We need to protect them or we will no longer be able to enjoy these magnificent bears. There are many interesting facts about the polar bears. This web site gives you some helpful tips and facts about them.

Did you know that polar bears are 8 feet long and when they stand up they can be up to 11 feet tall? Males weigh up to 1,600 lbs and females weigh up to 600 lbs. Each bear has a home range and can travel up to 19 miles in a day. The current population is around 25,000 to 40,000.

Gestation Period varies considerably between 190 & 260 days. This variable gestation period is due to something called “delayed implantation”. What this means is, the female may not actually become fertilized at the moment of copulation. Instead, she may store the male’s sperm inside her and keep it viable until suitable conditions in her body and surrounding habitat are ideal. Female polar bears give birth every 3 to 4 years around the month of December. They usually give birth to one to three cubs. The cubs are born with no hair, born blind (later turn into blue eyes) and born weighing less then 700 grams. They are born in a snow den where they stay for 3 to 5 months. In spring the mother emerges from her den followed by her cubs. Generally, she will nurse them for two and a half years. During that time she will protect them and teach them how to hunt.

Polar bears are streamlined for swimming. This allows for endurance and agility for long stays in the water. They have tiny webs between their toes to help them swim and also a layer of blubber that keeps them warm in the cold arctic water. Polar bears obtain most of their food from the ocean and their favorite food is the seal.

A polar bears coat is not only for warmth, but also used as camouflage. Their fur is translucent, reflecting the color of the ice and snow. Depending on the season and the angle of light can affect the color reflected by the fur. Their color is cream, pure white and often yellow. They have two fur coats. Their soles have black pads. They have black skin, white fur. They have a very good sense of smell. Polar bears have long strong necks and legs.

Polar bears are one of the most powerful animals on earth. Aggression occurs between males during the breeding season and also when another male attempts to steal the food that the other bear has just caught. Another form of fighting is called play fighting. This often occurs between younger male adults and older male adults as a way to practice their fighting skills. Around the world, researchers have been documenting the retreat of ice in the Arctic and the threat this poses for the polar bear. Some scientists are predicting an ice free Arctic Ocean by as early as 2050, which could quite possibly spell doom for this magnificent creature. If we don't take action on global warming now, the polar bear could be facing extinction.

Like any other animal population they too can get diseases, a variety of diseases and parasites can be responsible for polar bear illnesses. Polar bears are especially susceptible to the parasitic worm Trichinella, which they contract by feeding on infected seals. Trichinella larvae encyst in various parts of the polar bear's body, usually muscle tissue. If enough larvae encyst in one area, such as the heart area, the tissue will become severely damaged. Death may be a result.

How do you determine the age of a polar bear? Each year as a polar bear grows; a thin layer of cementum is added to the outside of each tooth. Age can be estimated by examining a thin slice of tooth and by counting the layers. To estimate the age of a live polar bear, researchers can extract one small, vestigial premolar tooth.

Polar bears can live 18 to 30 years, but only a small amount of polar bears live past 15 to 18 years. The oldest known polar bear in the Arctic lived 32 years.

Hunting is the greatest single cause of polar bear deaths. Polar bears have been hunted for thousands of years. Evidence found of human polar bear hunts have been found in 2,500- to 3,000-year old ruins. Arctic people have traditionally hunted polar bears for clothing, food, bedding, and other purposes.

Commercial hunting of polar bears to get their hides began as early as the 1500s and flourished by the 1700s. Kills increased substantially in the 1950s and 1960s when hunters began using boats, airplanes and snowmobiles to hunt the polar bear. Public concern about these hunting methods led to an international agreement in 1973 banning the use of aircraft or large motorized boats for polar bear hunts. Today, polar bears are hunted by native Arctic populations primarily for food, clothing, handicrafts, and sale of skins. Polar bears are also killed in defense of people or property.

The International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973 by the five nations with polar bear populations: Canada, Denmark Greenland, Norway, the U.S., and the former U.S.S.R. The Oslo agreement was one of the first and most successful international conservation measures enacted in the 20th century. Its legacy still continues today, with scientists from each nation working together to face the old and new threats to the bears including climate change, pollution, industrial activities, and poaching.