| Found throughout the circumpolar Arctic, the polar | | | | they are around 3-4 months old but continue to |
| bear is one of the largest land carnivores. Surviving | | | | supplement their diet by nursing for another 18 |
| mainly on a diet of seal, polar bears also eat kelp, | | | | months or so. At around one year of age, the young |
| scavenge on carcasses, and occasionally even kill a | | | | bears will start trying to hunt on their own, not truly |
| walrus or a small whale. Aptly titled Kings of the | | | | becoming efficient hunters until they reach about two |
| North, or Lords of the Arctic, polar bears are truly | | | | years old. Not long after this, once the mother is |
| fascinating animals with unique characteristics, all of | | | | again ready to breed, either mom or her new suitor, |
| which enable them to survive in a harsh and | | | | will chase off the cubs, forcing them to make their |
| unforgiving world. | | | | way in the world. |
| So how does a polar bear start out in life? Well, | | | | Polar bear cubs grow quickly, weighing in at around |
| sometime around midsummer, polar bears mate and | | | | 99 pounds by the time they reach 8 months old. |
| then go their own separate ways. This is the point | | | | Once they reach adulthood, a female polar bear will |
| where things get very interesting. The fertilized egg | | | | weigh in at 350-550 pounds and can measure over 8 |
| divides into a hollow orb of cells called a blastocyst, | | | | feet tall while a male can easily weigh anywhere from |
| then free floats in the uterus for four months before | | | | 1,000 to 1,400 pounds and measure over 9 feet tall. |
| attaching to the uterine wall. This delay allows the | | | | Their life span varies but polar bears in the wild have |
| female polar bear to build up the fat she needs, | | | | an average life span of span of 20 years with a few |
| roughly 400 pounds of it, before the fetus or | | | | living as long as 30. |
| fetuses begin to develop. This also insures that the | | | | Survival for polar bear cubs is not high, only 55% will |
| cub or cubs are not born too early. Typically, once | | | | make it to adulthood. They do have some unique |
| the blastula begins to develop, one to three embryos | | | | factors to help them. A polar bear’s fur is not |
| will result with actual gestation taking another four | | | | actually white. Each hair is a clear hollow tube with |
| months. | | | | highly reflective qualities (making it appear white) |
| Not long after mating, the female polar bear begins | | | | while their skin is black to absorb heat from the sun. |
| preparing a den that she will enter sometime in mid | | | | They can also swim for long periods while their thick |
| October. Her den will be a hole dug into the deepest | | | | layers of fat and water repellent fur protect them |
| snowdrift she can find on a south facing slope and | | | | from the freezing water. Partially webbed front paws |
| measures approximately 6.5 x 5 x 3 feet with an air | | | | and elongated hind paws, which act like rudders, allow |
| vent in the top. There she will spend the winter in | | | | the polar bear to swim more efficiently. The pads of |
| hibernation, the cubs being born sometime between | | | | their feet, the only place on their bodies with the |
| November and January. At birth, a baby polar bear | | | | exception of their nose that is not covered with fur, |
| weighs around one pound and measures about | | | | have a layer of dermal bumps which combined with |
| twelve inches. Blind, deaf, and covered in very fine | | | | long hairs between the toes allow for friction against |
| fuzz, the cubs are totally dependant on mom for | | | | the ice. |
| food and warmth, spending all of their time nursing | | | | Sadly, as of May of 2008, the classification of polar |
| and sleeping. Roughly, one month later, the cubs will | | | | bears upgraded to “threatened” allowing |
| begin to hear sounds and shortly thereafter, they will | | | | them increased protection under the Endangered |
| open their eyes. At two months, they begin walking | | | | Species Act. A combination of melting arctic ice, oil |
| around the den. Finally, mom and cubs emerge from | | | | drilling and over hunting have put these fascinating |
| the den in March or April by which time the cubs | | | | animals in danger of extinction, some experts saying |
| weigh in at around 23 pounds. | | | | there could be a reduction in the polar bear population |
| For the first 12 weeks, mom and cubs stick close to | | | | of two thirds by 2050. The polar bear is the first |
| the den while the cubs get used to the colder | | | | animal whose decline ties directly to global warming. |
| temperatures and develop their leg muscles. Polar | | | | Let us hope that with continuing conservation efforts |
| bear cubs stay with the mom for about 2.5 years. | | | | we can still save these magnificent creatures from |
| During this time, she fiercely protects them while | | | | disappearing along with the arctic ice that they call |
| teaching them how to hunt for food and the basics | | | | home. |
| of survival. The cubs start eating solid food when | | | | |