POLAR BEAR |
The Latin name “Ursus
maritimus” of the Polar Bear means “sea bear”, and it is were icy sea meets
land. It is there where most of the bears are to be found. They are excellent
swimmers and divers; perfectly at home in the icy waters of the Arctic. They
swim at a speed of about 20km/h and can remain under water for up two minutes. They
are able to close their nostrils when they submerge. They can swim as far as 300km
from land and still swim strongly. It
propels itself along with its front legs and steers with the back legs. To cope
with the icy water they have a thick layer of fat and a water-repellent
coat.
Their fur is very dense and creamy yellow in colour which
serves as a cover with the snowy environment.
The coat is made up of a thick underfur and long, top guard hairs. Even their sole of their feet is covered with
fur to provide extra grip on slippery ice when the polar bear shambles over it.
Polar bears travel great distances and further than any
other bears. It had been noticed that
the bears follow the drifting pack ice within a general area that could cover
up to 50,000sqkm.
DIET
They mostly live on seals and their favourite is the ring
seal. The Polar Bears have the knack to follow them over the pack ice and wait
by a breathing hole. The other method of hunting seals is when they quietly swim
towards a resting animals and jump through the ice.
HOUSING
Only the female Polar Bear builds and moves into a den
(house or home for the winter when she is pregnant. They are built in a snow drift near the
coastline. The male keeps active throughout the year. The female gives birth to one or two tiny
cubs in December or January. The family will emerge three months later. During that time the mother lives on her
build-up fat and feeds the young with her rich milk.
POLAR BEAR CUPS BEFORE THEIR DEN |
SPECIFICATION
Males are 2.5 to 3m long and their weight is 400 to 650kg
Females are 2 to 2.5m long and their weight is 175 to 300kg
Newborn cubs have a weight of 600 to 700 gr
Polar Bears have a lifespan of 30 to 40 years.
CONSERVATION
All bears had been hunted over the centuries either for food,
fur or selling to zoo. The Polar Bear was one of the most wanted furs and was
at the verge of extinction. A sanctuary area was established in 1970 and it is now showing signs of
increasing its numbers of polar bears
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