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There is probably no more distinctive representative associated with the white plains of the Arctic than the Polar Bear. This bear spends most of their lives on sea ice. That is why we classify them among marine mammals.
The species was first described in 1774 by the English sailor, Constantine John Phipps, who gave it the scientific name Ursus maritimus (which is the Latin name for the Polar Bear). Two years later, in 1776, Peter Simon Pallas described another subspecies, the Siberian Polar Bear. However, most experts do not accept this division and are inclined to say that it is one species.
The Polar Bear is truly magnificent. After all, it can measure up to 5' 3" in height and the length of the body is approximately 8 ft. If it stands on the hind legs, it reaches a height of about 7’10” - 10’ 9”. The adult bear (male) weighs about 770 - 1 540 lb., while the adult female is approximately half the size. Reportedly, the largest specimen known to date weighed 2 205 lb. and, when upright, stood approx. 12 ft tall. The Polar Bear rarely lives longer than 25 years in the wild. In captivity, it can live for more than 40 years.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Polar Bear is listed as a vulnerable species and a total of 22 000 - 31 000 remain in the wild.
Its territory is the entire Arctic, with the North Pole being visited only rarely. The natural environments are blocks of ice floes, the edges of the shore and open waters, where they have ideal hunting conditions. During the summer melting of ice, they are forced to stay on the mainland. In the South, Polar Bears are annual visitors to Southern Labrador, Newfoundland and Norway. Over the years, they have reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bering Sea. The southernmost year-round habitat of the Polar Bear is James Bay in Canada.
It may seem that the Polar Bear is only one population, but in fact there are a total of 19 subpopulations. Of these, only 1 subpopulation is thriving and growing, 5 populations are stable and 4 are in decline. The remaining 9 cannot be evaluated, due to a lack of data and information.
Of all the bears, the Polar Bear is the most specialized carnivore. It feeds mainly through hunting, its most common prey being seals and their young. The Polar Bear is a hunting opportunist, as it does not reject walruses, other pinnipeds or even cetaceans, e.g. the White Beluga. It is a very patient hunter and can wait for hours at ice holes for the opportunity to catch something. As a hunter, it has a well-developed sense of smell. A Polar Bear can sense prey at a distance of more than 3 000 feet or even 3 000 feet under the snow. Sensitive hearing also helps the Polar Bear to hunt its prey. However, its eyesight is average – like that of a human. Although the Polar Bear spends half of its lifetime hunting, it is only about 2 % successful.
Beware! It is worth noting here that, unlike other species of bears, Polar Bears, if they spot a human, consider them as potential prey. Encountering a Polar Bear is therefore always dangerous to humans!
Did you know … a Polar Bear has huge paws? They are like plates with a diameter of about 11 - 13 inches.
The Polar Bear is really well equipped, even in the most extreme conditions. In addition to the aforementioned excellent sense of smell and hearing, it is also perfectly insulated against the cold. The skin is surprisingly black and absorbs heat better (even though the skin of the young is pink). The coat appears white, but it is only an optical illusion - it is colorless and reflects only the minimum light. There is up to 4 inches of adipose tissue under the hair, which allows only a minimum of heat to be transmitted. It is therefore problematic to see a Polar Bear by thermal imaging. Although the Polar Bear copes with low temperatures well, it does not like temperatures above 50 °F and can easily reach a state of overheating.
Did you know … SPYGEN company has developed a technique that allows scientists to isolate the DNA from a Polar Bear's trail in the snow? Two tiny mounds of snow from the trail reveal not only its DNA, but even the seal recently eaten.
The Polar Bear is a really great traveler. It searches for food most of the day and travels several miles per day. Researchers have measured, by means of a GPS device, **an average daily distance of 35 miles traveled **by subjects. The Polar Bear can also climb almost vertical ice floes or jump over 13-foot holes in the ice. If the Polar Bear is forced by circumstances, it can run at a speed of 18 - 25 mph. In addition to walking or running, it is also a good and persistent swimmer. Thanks to the huge paws, with the front paws serving as paddles and the hind paws as rudders, it can swim for several days. A record distance which has been recorded is the 425 miles swum in the Beaufort Sea. The Polar Bear moves in the water at a speed of about 3 to 6 mph. In addition, it can dive and stay underwater for up to 3 minutes. When in the water, only the fur gets wet, while the skin remains dry.
Mythbuster ... the Polar Bear has a distinctive black snout, which can be seen with binoculars from a distance of several miles. It is said that Polar Bears hide their snouts while hunting prey, so that they are not revealed. However, ** scientists who have been observing bears for several years do not confirm anything like this.**
As one of the largest animals, the Polar Bear does not have any natural enemy on land. The only real and significant enemy remains man and his interventions in the environment of the Polar Bear.
Conflict with Humans Some of the most commonly studied Polar Bear populations are spending more and more time on land. Without sea ice and seals, Polar Bears are forced to look for other food sources. This leads them to communities, landfills or human food warehouses, which offer them an easy source of food. However, there is usually a conflict between bears and humans, and these can lead to the death of bears.
Environmental Pollution Polar Bears accumulate high levels of persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides. These substances enter the body of the predator from its prey. This is another effect of the constant pollution of the oceans.
Oil and Gas An oil spill causes pollution of Polar Bear fur. As a result, its fur may lose its insulating ability and the bear may die of hypothermia. If the bear tries to lick the oil from the fur, it can lead to toxification of the body and e.g. kidney failure.
Saving a Polar Bear is not so easy or straightforward. Other species can be protected in various ways and moved to new and better protected habitats, but not the Polar Bear, which is fully dependent on the ice sheet. If the ice disappears, its natural home will also disappear. There are only a few things that can be done, but everyone can get involved, because everyone has some influence on the climate.
The Polar Bear is classified as vulnerable. But as Steven Amstrup said "Think of it like this: If I push you off of the roof of a building of 100 floors, will the level of risk to you become 'vulnerable' by the time you pass the 10th floor?"
Addressing Climate Change Involvement of governments and institutions in the consistent reduction of greenhouse gases, which contribute to rising temperatures and thus to the melting of glaciers.
Population Monitoring In order to help bears effectively, it is first necessary to get to know them perfectly. GPS locators are used to monitor the position of individual bears, which monitor the movement of individuals. DNA extraction kits are used for scientific research of the population.
Reducing Human Conflict Support the production and distribution of food and waste storage facilities in the form of steel containers, so that local people can continue to store their food outdoors, while protecting them from bear attacks. Also support the construction of electric fences to separate bears from draft dogs that spend the nights outdoors.
Saving Polar Bear is a complex task. But everyone can get involved and be part of the solution!
How can YOU help?
Move to "Green" Use your cars less. If possible, go to work, school or on fun outings on foot or by public transport.
Recycle Save natural resources by recycling products and avoid products that have a lot of packaging.
Save Electricity Switch off electrical appliances when not in use. At home, you can replace light bulbs or other appliances with those with better efficiency and lower consumption. Electricity generation burdens the environment and contributes to climate change.
Spread Information People do not know how dependent a Polar Bear is on its natural habitat. The least you can do is to share the facts about the Polar Bear.