THE POLAR BEAR

THE POLAR BEAR

The polar / sea bear, is a marine mammal. Polar bears top the food chain in the Arctic, where they feed primarily on seals. Polar bears are found across the Arctic. They are most abundant in areas with annual sea ice and productive ringed seal populations.

The polar bear live in / found in U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland (Kingdom of Denmark), and Norway (Svalbard). The primary conservation concern for polar bears is habitat loss and reduced access to their seal prey due to climate change. 

Scientists predict that as the Arctic continues to warm, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear within this century. The adult polar bear males normally weigh 350 to more than 600 kilograms and adult females are smaller, normally weighing 150 to 295 kilograms. The heights are typically 3.5-5 feet for adult polar bears. Polar bear feet are furred and covered with small bumps called papillae to keep them from slipping on ice. Their sense of smell is powerful for detecting seals.  

 In the wild, polar bears live an average 15 to 18 years.  In captivity, some long-lived bears reach their mid- to late 30's. Twins are most common, but they can have singlet or triplets depending on the mother's body condition. They give birth to their first litter when they are between four and eight years old, most frequently at five or six. Polar bears have the one of the slowest reproductive rates of any mammal, typically producing only five litters in their lifetime.