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The “King of the Arctic” is the third-largest member of its family after the Kodiak bear and the Kamchatka bear. This relatively young species of bear is a descendant of the Siberian brown bear.
Distribution area and habitat
Polar bears live in the coastal regions of the Arctic – in the USA, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. They primarily hunt near the coasts on pack ice and on the islands of the Arctic.
Appearance, height and weight
Polar bears are amongst the most impressive bears. The males weigh around 500-600 (occasionally up to 800) kilograms and can reach a height of up to three and a half meters when upright. At 300-400 kilograms the females are smaller and lighter.
The almost straight line from the forehead to the bridge of the nose is typical for the relatively small and narrow head. The bear’s neck is relatively long whereas its ears are small and round.
Diet
In the winter, polar bears primarily hunt ring and bearded seals but also harp seals, young walruses, beluga whales, fish and seabirds on the pack ice. In the summer, when they live on land, they eat small mammals, ground-nesting birds, eggs and carrion. In between larger meals they also have to make do with seaweed, mussels, grass, moss or berries. Per year, a polar bear covers an average of 15,000 kilometres in search of food. It has to kill approximately 50-75 seals a year in order to survive.
Way of life
Polar bears are loners that wander over large areas. It is, however, quite possible for several of their paths to meet at a carcass – only to disperse again once they have eaten their fill.
Despite their warm fur and layer of fat, polar bears spend up to eight months from September/October hibernating in a den which they dig for themselves in the snow.
Although it hardly seems believable given their size and weight, polar bears are excellent swimmers and can dive to a depth of several meters. In the water they use their broad forefeet, which have webbed toes, as paddles.
Social behaviour and reproduction
The mating period, in which the males fight each other fiercely for the females, lasts from the end of March until the beginning of June. Female polar bears become sexually mature at an age of four to five years. They usually give birth to two cubs in December or January after a gestation period of approximately 8 months.
Special characteristics
At full speed, polar bears can run at up to 40 km/h leaving prey or humans with absolutely no chance of escape. Consequently, it is advisable to keep away from polar bears and not to attract them with the smell of food or rubbish.
Status
In the wild, polar bears have only one enemy: man. Humans caused the population size to hit rock bottom in the 1950s. It was not until hunting restrictions and protection programs were introduced that the numbers started to rise again. It is estimated that there are now 22,000 to 25,000 polar bears in approximately 20 populations around the North Pole and that 60 percent of these “Kings of the Arctic” live in Canada.
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