Facts about Polar Bears

Source: Artic Kingdom

Here are some very interesting facts about these giants of the North:

·         Polar bears are fantastic swimmers.

·         They have pretty small tails (7-12 cm long).

·         Their whole body is covered with fur except for their nose tip and paw pads.

·         Polar bears are fast and can run at 25mph for short distances, usually while charging prey

·         There are 20-25,000 polar bears remaining in the Arctic.

·         Polar bears are perfectly suited to their environment because they have furry, anti-slip feet and heat-conserving ears.

·         Their fur is thick, two-layered, and oily to repel water and prevent their coats from freezing.

·         Interestingly, their fur is white because the sunlight is reflected back down the hair-shaft to heat the skin.

·         They moult every year whereby they replace their fur completely

·         Their skin is black in order to soak up the sun’s heat efficiently.

·         A polar bear is well insulated by a thick layer of fat under the skin, especially in water.

·         Their ears are furry but smaller than other bears’ so that they can retain heat more effectively and help keep them warm in winter temperatures that can reach -30^OC.

·         Its nose is a valuable hunting tool because most of the food occurs under the ice.

·         They also have an amazing sense of smell. In fact, they can smell a seal up to a km away – even under the ice!

·         Their nostrils close when they’re under water.

·         Polar bears need to eat about 2kg of fat each day.

·         They are the biggest of all bear species.

Source: Travel4Wildlife

·         Males (boars), weigh up to 800kg.

Source: Polar Bear International

Reference:

http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/polar_bear_exploredownload.pdf

International Polar Bear Day

Source: Telegraph

Source: Daily Mail

Today is an important day on every environmentalist’s and animal lover’s calendar: It is International Polar Bear Day. This day is celebrated annually on the 27^th of February. It is celebrated to raise vital awareness about the conservation status of this beautiful species. It is organised by Polar Bears International to put a spotlight on the impact of global warming and a reduction of sea ice on polar bear populations.

Polar Bears, like many other species, are under threat as a result of climate change. The Arctic is warming roughly twice as fast as the global average, causing the ice that polar bears depend on to melt away. The sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year. Polar bears require the sea ice to hunt seals, which are their main prey. Because a significant amount of sea ice reduction takes place, it affects their survival and breeding success because they have to fast for longer periods at a time.

Source: Polar Bear World

Source: Telegraph

So please join us in celebrating the white giants of the North.