Polar Bear Fact

Numerous Polar Bear fact sheets can be found on the Internet. This bear species is the largest land carnivore and the only pure carnivore among other bears. Polar Bears inhabit the Arctic and prefer coastal areas where they can find food. Polar Bears are ice-dependent; they are perfectly adapted to living in permafrost. Being excellent swimmers and divers, they feed on seals and fish in water, but they are rather slow-moving when on land.

The largest carnivore doesn’t have natural predators, but it’s a sad Polar Bear fact that the mortality level in the species is very high. The lifespan of the Polar Bear is over 30 years, but most bears die in their teens. There are many threats to their population. Many cubs and young Polar Bears die of starvation if their mother cannot provide them with enough food. Many subadult Polar Bears are not experienced enough to catch a prey. Female bears reach sexual maturity at 4 or 5 years; males become mature at 6-7 years, but they cannot breed till they are able to win a fight for a female. Natural selection culls the weaker individuals and only the strongest and cleverest ones can breed.

Humans have hunted Polar Bears for over 3,000 years. It’s a Polar Bear fact that many body parts of these animals were used for food, clothing, and religious purposes. In the 20th century, hunters started to use guns, snowmobiles, and airplanes to hunt these large and dangerous animals. Only in the 1970’s, using aircraft and large motorized boats for hunting Polar Bears was banned. Nowadays, Polar Bears can be legally hunted by native tribes that use bear meat, hides, and fat for their purposes. In Norway and Russia, Polar Bears are protected by law; in Greenland, Canada, and the USA, Polar Bears can be hunted with a license.

Oil spills and toxic chemicals are serious threats to Polar Bears, their food, and habitat. When covered with oil, Polar Bears cannot keep their fur dry and cannot stand frost and wind. It’s a Polar Bear fact that these animals stand on the top of the food chain and concentrate dangerous amounts of chemicals from the prey in their body.