Polar bear (lat. Ursus maritimus) - carnivorous mammal bear family. It is a typical inhabitant of the Arctic, only occasionally entering the continental tundra. The polar bear is the largest representative not only of the family, but also of the entire order of predators. Some males have a body up to 3 meters long and weigh more than 700 kilograms. Despite their enormous weight and apparent clumsiness, polar bears are fast and agile even on land, and in water they swim easily and far and dive freely.

The polar bear's body is elongated, narrow in the front and massive in the back, the neck is long and mobile, the head is relatively small, with a straightened profile, a narrow forehead and small, high-set eyes. The polar bear has very strong paws with large claws. The unusually thick, dense fur perfectly protects the bear’s body from cold and getting wet in icy water. This type of fur covers the entire body of the animal and has a uniform white color that does not change with the seasons. The skin of a polar bear is dark, almost black, which contributes to the least heat transfer. All year round, a thick - 3-4 cm - layer of fat lies under the skin; on the back of the body it can reach a thickness of 10 centimeters. Fat not only protects the animal from the cold and serves as an energy storehouse, but also makes its body lighter, allowing it to easily stay afloat.

Currently, there are three populations of polar bears: Kara-Barents Sea (Svalbard-Novaya Zemlya), Laptev and Chukchi-Alaskan.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Predatory mammal polar bear, or polar bear(Ursus maritimus) is a close relative brown bear and the largest land predator on the planet today.

Characteristics and description

The polar bear is one of the largest terrestrial representatives of mammals from the order of predatory animals.. Body length adult is three meters with a mass of up to a ton. Average weight males, as a rule, vary between 400-800 kg with a body length of 2.0-2.5 m. The height at the withers does not exceed one and a half meters. Females are much smaller, and their weight rarely exceeds 200-250 kg. The category of the smallest polar bears includes individuals inhabiting Spitsbergen, and the largest large specimens found near the Bering Sea.

This is interesting! A characteristic feature of polar bears is the presence of sufficient long neck and a flat head. The skin is black, and the color of the fur coat can vary from white to yellowish tints. In summer, the animal's fur turns yellow as a result of prolonged exposure to sunlight.

The fur of polar bears is completely devoid of pigmentation, and the hairs have a hollow structure. A feature of translucent hairs is the ability to transmit only ultraviolet light, which gives the wool high thermal insulation characteristics. There is also fur on the soles of the limbs to prevent slipping. Between the fingers there is a swimming membrane. Large claws allow the predator to hold even very strong and large prey.

Extinct subspecies

A closely related subspecies to the well-known and fairly common polar bear today is the extinct giant polar bear or U. maritimus tyrannus. Distinctive feature this subspecies had significantly larger body sizes. The body length of an adult individual could be four meters, and the average weight exceeded a ton.

On the territory of Great Britain, in Pleistocene deposits, it was possible to discover the remains of a single ulna belonging to a giant polar bear, which made it possible to determine its intermediate position. Apparently, the large predator was perfectly adapted to hunting enough large mammals. According to scientists, the most likely reason for the extinction of the subspecies was an insufficient amount of food at the end of the glaciation period.

Habitat

The circumpolar habitat of the polar bear is limited to the territory of the northern coast of the continents and the southern part of the distribution of floating ice floes, as well as the border of the northern warm currents seas. The distribution area includes four areas:

• permanent habitat;
• habitat of high animal numbers;
• place of regular residence of pregnant females;
• territory of distant calls to the south.

Polar bears inhabit the entire coast of Greenland, the ice of the Greenland Sea south to the islands of Jan Mayen, the island of Spitsbergen, as well as Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the Barents Sea, the islands of Bear, Vaigach and Kolguev, and the Kara Sea. A significant number of polar bears are observed on the coast of the continents of the Laptev Sea, as well as the East Siberian, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The main habitat of the highest possible abundance of the predator is represented by the continental slope of the Arctic Ocean.

Pregnant female polar bears regularly den in the following areas:

• northwest and northeast Greenland;
• southeastern part of Spitsbergen;
• western part of Franz Josef Land;
• the northern part of the island of Novaya Zemlya;
• small islands of the Kara Sea;
• Severnaya Zemlya;
• northern and northeastern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula;
• the Lena delta and the Bear Islands of Eastern Siberia;
• coast and adjacent islands of the Chukotka Peninsula;
• Wrangel Island;
• southern Banks Island;
• Simpson Peninsula coast;
• northeastern coast of Baffin Island and Southampton Island.

Dens with pregnant polar bears have also been observed on pack ice in the Beaufort Sea. From time to time, usually in early spring, polar bears make long trips towards Iceland and Scandinavia, as well as the Kanin Peninsula, the Anadyr Bay and Kamchatka. With ice and when crossing Kamchatka, predatory animals sometimes end up in the Sea of ​​Japan and Okhotsk.

Nutritional Features

Polar bears have a very well developed sense of smell, as well as hearing and vision, so it is not difficult for a predator to notice its prey at a distance of several kilometers.

The diet of a polar bear is determined by the characteristics of its distribution area and the characteristics of its body. The predator is ideally adapted to the harsh polar winter and long swims in icy water, so its prey is most often marine representatives of the animal world, including sea ​​urchin and walruses. Eggs, chicks, young animals, as well as carrion in the form of corpses of sea animals and fish that are washed up on the coast are also used for food.

If possible, the polar bear's diet can be very selective. In captured seals or walruses, the predator primarily eats the skin and fat layer. However, a very hungry beast is capable of eating the corpses of its fellows. It is relatively rare for large predators to enrich their diet with berries and moss. Changing climatic conditions have had a significant impact on nutrition, so Lately Polar bears are increasingly hunting on land.

Lifestyle

Polar bears make seasonal migrations, which are caused by annual changes in territories and borders polar ice. In summer, animals retreat towards the pole, and in winter, the animal population moves to the southern part and enters the mainland.

This is interesting! Despite the fact that polar bears mainly stay on the coast or ice, in winter the animals lie down in dens located on the mainland or island part, sometimes at a distance of fifty meters from the sea line.

Duration hibernation Polar bear life usually varies between 50-80 days, but hibernates, most often pregnant females. Males and young animals are characterized by irregular and fairly short winter hibernation.

On land, this predator is fast, and also swims well and dives very well.

Despite the apparent slowness, the slowness of the polar bear is deceptive. On land, this predator is distinguished by its agility and speed, and among other things, large animal swims well and dives very well. To protect the polar bear's body, it has very thick and dense fur, which prevents it from getting wet in icy water and has excellent heat-retaining properties. One of the most important adaptive characteristics is the presence of a massive layer of subcutaneous fat, the thickness of which can reach 8-10 cm. The white color of the coat helps the predator to successfully camouflage itself against the background of snow and ice..

Reproduction

Based on numerous observations, the rutting period for polar bears lasts about a month and usually begins in mid-March. At this time, predators are divided into pairs, but there are also females accompanied by several males at once. The mating period lasts a couple of weeks.

Polar bear pregnancy

Lasts approximately eight months, but depending on a number of conditions, can vary between 195-262 days. It is almost impossible to visually distinguish a pregnant female from an unmarried polar bear. About a couple of months before giving birth, behavioral differences appear and females become irritable, inactive, long time lie on their stomachs and lose their appetite. A litter often contains a pair of cubs, and the birth of one cub is typical for young, primiparous females. A pregnant bear comes to land in the fall, and spends the entire winter period in a snowy den, most often located near the sea coast.

Caring for cubs

In the first days after birth, the polar bear lies curled up on her side almost all the time.. Short and sparse hair is not sufficient for independent heating, so newborn cubs are located between the mother’s paws and her chest, and the polar bear warms them with her breath. The average weight of newborn cubs most often does not exceed a kilogram with a body length of a quarter of a meter.

The cubs are born blind, and only at the age of five weeks do they open their eyes. A mother bear feeds her month-old cubs while sitting. The mass emergence of female bears occurs in March. Through a hole dug outside, the bear begins to gradually take her cubs out for a walk, but with the onset of night the animals return to the den again. During walks, the cubs play and dig in the snow.

This is interesting! In the polar bear population, approximately 15-29% of cubs and about 4-15% of immature individuals die.

Enemies in nature

IN natural conditions polar bears, due to their size and predatory instinct, have practically no enemies. The death of polar bears is most often caused by accidental injuries as a result of intraspecific clashes or when hunting walruses that are too large. Orca whales and polar sharks also pose a certain danger to adults and young individuals. Most often bears die from starvation.

Man was the most terrible enemy of the polar bear, and such peoples of the North as the Chukchi, Nenets and Eskimos hunted this polar predator from time immemorial. Fishing operations that began in the second half of the last century became disastrous for the population. During one season, St. John's worts destroyed more than a hundred individuals. More than sixty years ago, polar bear hunting was closed, and since 1965 it has been included in the Red Book.

Danger to humans

Cases of polar bear attacks on people are well known, and the most striking evidence of the predator’s aggression is recorded in the notes and reports of polar travelers, so moving in places possible appearance polar bear, must be handled with extreme caution. In settlements located near the habitat of the polar predator, all containers with household waste must necessarily be inaccessible to a hungry animal. In the cities of the Canadian province, so-called “prisons” have been specially created in which bears approaching the city limits are temporarily kept.

The message about the polar bear can be used in preparation for the lesson. A story about a polar bear for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.

Report on the topic “Polar bear” 4th grade

The polar bear is one of the largest predators on Earth. These are inhabitants of the harsh and snowy expanses of the Arctic zone; their southern border of habitat is the tundra zone.

Description of a polar bear

The polar bear has a heavy, massive body and large, powerful paws.

Its weight ranges from 300 to 800 kg, and its length can reach up to three meters. The color of the fur coat can range from white to yellowish. In summer, the fur may turn yellow due to constant exposure to sunlight. Wool stores subcutaneous fat and protects well from the cold, so animals do not freeze either on land or under water. The tail of a polar bear is very short, ranging from 7 to 13 cm in length and is almost invisible under its dense fur.

Interestingly, the bear’s skin under its fur is black, as is its nose.

Their feet have an unusual elongated shape, which allows them not to fall under the snow and cover distances of 30 kilometers. Thanks to the partitions between the toes, animals swim well and hunt underwater.

What do bears eat?

They feed on fish, seals, and sometimes baby walruses. Bears can for a long time do without food, but when they catch prey, they eat up to 10 kg of meat at a time. In summer they can eat plants. Predators are very agile, despite their enormous weight and thick skin. They have a well-developed sense of smell and vision. They can see and smell their prey from kilometers away. And having tracked down the prey, they stun it with a blow of their paw.

Polar bear lifestyle

Basically, these animals are solitary, but in the spring they pair up to create offspring. In small families they explore new territory, but do not stay there for long. While carrying cubs, female polar bears almost never leave their shelter and lose 2 times their weight. After the birth of babies (usually one or two), the bear spends several more months with them in a specially dug den, because they are not yet adapted to the cold. Newborn cubs are taught by their mother to hunt and survive in difficult conditions.

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the three-dimensional, constantly changing space of water and ice, flexible in changing hunting tactics and without natural enemies, the polar bear is the real master of the Arctic.

Taxonomy

Russian name - polar bear, polar bear, northern Bear, oshkuy, nanuk, umka
Latin name- Ursus (Thalarctos) maritimus
English name - Polar bear
Order - Carnivora (Carnivora)
Family - Bears (Ursidae) has 7 species
Genus - Ursus

Status of the species in nature

The polar bear is listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia as a species whose numbers in nature are declining - CITES II, IUCN (VU). In Russia, polar bear hunting has been prohibited since 1956 and is currently permitted only in very limited areas in the United States, Canada and Greenland.

Species and man

These animals were known to the ancient Romans at least in the first century AD. The archives of the Japanese emperors indicate that polar bears and their skins reached Japan and Manchuria already in the 7th century, but the population of these countries could have become acquainted with these animals much earlier - bears sometimes reach the shores of Japan along with floating ice. The oldest written source containing information about polar bears and relating to the north of Europe dates back to approximately 880 - then two bear cubs were brought from Norway to Iceland. In 1774, the polar bear was first described in scientific literature as an independent species. The author of this description is the English zoologist Constantine Phipps.

The peoples inhabiting the Arctic have long hunted these animals. As humans explored the North, the number of bears decreased, but after hunting was banned and protected areas were organized in the areas of their ancestral dens, they began to increase. However, it is currently declining again, as bears are suffering greatly due to climate change - in the Arctic, the ice cover necessary for successful seal hunting is being established late. As a result, the animals starve, and mother bears, in addition, cannot get to the places of their ancestral dens. Environmental pollution and disturbance factors play a negative role.

Polar bears are very curious, they examine any new object and often visit polar stations. However, they are not aggressive and, if people do not start feeding them, they leave.

Distribution area

The polar bear's world is limited to ice fields. This is an animal of the Arctic belt - it finds food and shelter among endless ice and hummocks. It happens that, together with floating ice, polar bears reach the shores of Iceland, even end up in the Okhotsk and Japanese sea. However, such animals always strive to return to their familiar ice environment and, once outside it, make long journeys overland, moving strictly north.

Appearance, features of morphology and physiology

The polar bear is the largest animal not only among bears, but among all predators. Among the males there are giants whose body length reaches 280 cm, height at the withers - 150 cm, and weight - 800 kg; females are smaller and lighter. The polar bear has an elongated body, narrow in the front and massive in the back, a long and flexible neck and a relatively small head, with a straight profile, a narrow forehead and small, high-set eyes. This animal has very strong paws with large claws. The bear's feet are wide, but the calluses are almost invisible under the thick, dense fur. This type of fur covers the entire body of the animal and has a uniform white color that does not change with the seasons.

But the skin of a polar bear is dark, almost black, which contributes to the least heat transfer. All year round, there is a thick 3–4 cm layer of fat under the skin; on the back part it can reach a thickness of 10 cm. Fat not only protects the animal from the cold and serves as an energy storehouse, but also makes its body lighter, making it easier to stay on the water.
The brain of this animal is noticeably different from the brain of other carnivores in its outline and more complex arrangement of grooves and convolutions. In this respect, it is similar to the brain of some pinnipeds, such as the fur seal. Greater development of the visual area of ​​the brain than that of the brown bear and less development of the olfactory area may indicate that the polar bear has better developed vision and a worse sense of smell than its brown counterpart.

The structure of the digestive tract is specific and different from other bears - the intestines are shorter, and the stomach is much larger than that of other members of the family, which allows a hungry predator to eat a whole seal at once.

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

Lifestyle and social organization

In the harsh conditions of the Arctic, there is no usual alternation of day and night. There is no pronounced daily activity of the animals inhabiting it. Not all white bears go into hibernation, which is widely known for brown bears. Winter sleep is typical only for female bears about to become mothers and elderly males, who are thus waiting out the most difficult time of the year. Strong, healthy males and non-pregnant females are active all year round, hiding out in freshly dug dens in the snow only during a severe snowstorm.

Polar bears do not adhere to certain individual areas; they own the entire Arctic. Adult animals, as a rule, roam alone. Having caught a seal and been satisfied, the predator immediately falls asleep after a successful hunt, and, waking up, wanders on. Meeting with a brother can happen in different ways. Well-fed animals are most often neutral in relation to each other. Females with small cubs try to avoid the sight of large males, who, being hungry, hunt the cubs. If a meeting is unavoidable, the bear will desperately protect her babies.

An experienced male can take away the prey of a young one and even try to kill and eat him. At the same time, dozens of bears sometimes gather near the carcass of a whale thrown up by the sea, feeding a few meters from each other, without showing any aggression to their brothers.

Females with small cubs are extremely loyal to orphaned cubs: there are cases where females accepted and raised them together with their relatives.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The polar bear, unlike its omnivorous relatives, is a predator that actively hunts large animals. Its main victim is Arctic seals, primarily the ringed seal. When hunting a seal, the bear shows amazing ingenuity and resourcefulness: it can sneak up on its prey across the field, watch for leads, or get close to the reins. The bear is very patient - it can sneak up on its prey for several hours, as well as lie near the hole waiting for the animal to emerge to breathe. With a powerful blow of the front paw, the predator kills its prey and in one movement pulls it out from the ice. Most often, the bear confines itself to only the subcutaneous layer of fat, eating it along with the skin, which is pulled off by the victim’s stocking. The meat is eaten by arctic foxes and gulls, which often accompany him on his travels. However, a very hungry bear eats a seal's name, and can eat up to 20 kilograms at a time. There is a high probability that the next portion of food will enter his stomach only in a few days.

Sometimes the bear hunts the young of large marine mammals - walruses, beluga whales and narwhals. The real feast begins when the sea washes up the corpse of a whale. Several predators gather at once; there is enough food for everyone.

Being on dry land, bears feed on bird eggs and grab lemmings. In addition, in the summer on the mainland and islands they eat cloudberries, and in the tidal zone they eat algae such as kelp and fucus. After leaving the den, she-bears dig up snow and eat willow shoots and sedge mud.

Reproduction and raising of offspring

Mating of polar bears occurs in spring or summer. The animals can stay in pairs for about two weeks, but more often up to 3 or even 7 males gather around the female, and fights arise between them.

In October-November, when the ice fields are suitable for fires, the females go out to the rocky shores. Here, in their favorite places in deep snow drifts, they make dens. The entrance to the den is always lower than the nesting chamber, making the den much warmer than outside. Blizzards and winds complete the construction of the “house”, forming a strong roof over it, sometimes up to 2m thick. Here, after 230–250 days of gestation (including the latent stage characteristic of bears, when the egg does not develop), cubs emerge in the depths of the Arctic winter. Newborns are as helpless as other types of bears, and weigh about 700 g. The ability to see and hear appears in them only at the age of one month; after another month, the cubs start teething. At this time they begin to emerge from their burrows, but only at 3 months of age are they able to follow their mother. Young animals do not part with each other for a year and a half. Ikhotsy do not take any part in raising children; on the contrary, they pose a serious danger to them - cannibalism of white bears is not uncommon.

For the first time, a female gives birth to one cub at the age of five or six; subsequently, she will most likely give birth to two cubs once every three years.

Lifespan

In captivity, a polar bear can live more than 30 years, but in nature it is less.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

Throughout the existence of the zoo, there were only very short periods when we did not have polar bears. There is evidence that the first polar bear appeared in 1871. In 1884 Emperor Alexander donated two more polar bears to the zoo. They gave birth to cubs, but, unfortunately, due to concern from people, the mothers refused to feed them, and the first cubs born in captivity died. In subsequent years, the zoo received mostly cubs brought from polar stations. In 1938, the zoo kept 8 polar bears at a time. From them the offspring were obtained and raised. During the harsh war years, zoo enthusiasts made truly heroic efforts to preserve the animals, but some of them still died during the bombing. Early 1945 The zoo accepted another bear cub as a gift from the famous polar explorer Papanin.

Now there are three adult polar bears living in the zoo, only one of which was born in the zoo; the rest, left without parental care, were picked up and given to the zoo by winterers. Wrangel and Chukotka. They have been allocated two enclosures, the water of which, in addition to the obligatory swimming pool, has an installation from which summer days It's snowing. The installation is a gift from the Moscow government, and it has greatly brightened the lives of our furry pets. Bears love to rest near a snowdrift and hide leftover food in it, and children happily play in the snow.

The females each live in their own enclosure, the male moves, and is resettled only shortly before the time comes for the pregnant females to go into hibernation. During this time, expectant mothers try to disturb them as little as possible. The cubs are born in October-November, but zoo visitors can see them in the enclosures no earlier than February. They spend the first 3–4 months of their lives, as is expected of all cubs, in their own den. At the age of about one year, the cubs leave for other zoos.

The feeding of polar bears at the zoo is very varied. They prefer meat to everything else; they prefer large fish. Bears primarily choose a variety of vegetables and greens. green salad. They also eat various cereals.

Of course, life in a zoo is easier than in nature, but it is more boring. “Foreign” objects that you will see in the enclosures are bear toys. If you don't find the bears sleeping, you will very likely see them playing.

Today on Earth there are quite a lot of animal species that require special attention for the reason that they are becoming rare and may be in danger of extinction in the near future. Animals such as polar bears are also included in this group. The Red Book is intended to keep records of rare species and some of its pages are dedicated to the polar bear.

Polar bear habitats

This species of animal is interesting because its representatives live in places that are not very suitable for life. It's about about the Arctic with its harsh climate. Low temperatures air, long winter, polar nights did not become an obstacle for the polar bear.

The expanses of the Arctic Ocean with its lifeless islands, the northern outskirts of Eurasia and North America- places where the polar bear lives.
The Red Book, various encyclopedias and many other sources, providing information about this animal, indicate its significant difference from other species of bears living on the planet. Even its name can indicate certain characteristics of an animal. From the language of some peoples or scientific sources it is known that the animal is called differently - sea, northern, polar bear.

Paths of evolution

Scientists have long believed that the development paths of the polar and brown bear diverged approximately one hundred and fifty thousand years ago. And this happened in the area of ​​the planet occupied by modern Ireland. But recent research data has forced us to change this point of view. Today, science suggests that the separation of species occurred much earlier - on average, about six hundred thousand years ago. Over this long period, animals developed differences related not only to their habitat, nutritional conditions, but also to their appearance, although the genetic material indicates that these animals once had a common ancestor.

What is also common is the sad fact that all bears today are the White Himalayan and other species of these unique animals need the protection that only humans can give them. Although, it was he who became the main reason for the reduction in their numbers on Earth.

You can learn everything about the polar bear, as well as its relatives, on the pages of numerous publications, which contain research by scientists and stories of people who have encountered these unique and at the same time very dangerous animals in nature.

It must be said that the meeting did not always end happily, without sad consequences, if a person and a polar bear became its participants. The Red Book appeared because people sometimes tried to prevent the actions of a predator and destroyed it before it itself attacked a person or his home. But people’s actions were not always reasonable enough, and this ultimately led to a reduction in the number of polar bears.

Appearance and body structure features

A flat head is the main difference between a polar bear and a brown bear in body structure. The limbs of the animal have a pillar-like appearance. The feet are very wide. This helps bears move through deep snow without falling through. Due to the special structure of their feet and the fact that they are covered with fur, polar bears can easily move on an icy surface. Despite their enormous body mass, they easily overcome hummocks up to two meters high.

The bear's skin color is black, and the skin ranges from white to yellowish. The bear's fur acquires this color in the summer, when the effects of the sun's rays are especially strong.

Types of polar bears

Species of animals living in different regions vast territory of the Arctic, differ from each other. The largest polar bears live on the islands. Individual individuals weigh about 1000 kilograms with a body length reaching three meters.

Most existing species of polar bears reach 450 kilograms of weight with a height of about two meters. Females are slightly smaller than males. Their weight averages about 300 kilograms.

The habitat of the smallest representatives of these formidable animals, such as polar bears. The Red Book took everything under protection existing species bears living in the Arctic.

Adaptation to life in the Arctic

The polar bear takes special care of the owner of the ice deserts and lives only in the Arctic, most of which belongs to To the Russian state. In addition, polar bears are found on the mainland of Eurasia in the area of ​​icy deserts.

The polar bear does not live in other places on Earth. There are cases when animals on ice floes ended up in warmer climatic conditions, and this caused them big problems.

How did the animal adapt to such harsh living conditions in the Arctic? Firstly, the body is covered with thick fur. Secondly, the structure of the hairs helps trap air in them, which makes the fur warmer. A significant layer of fatty fiber also saves the animal’s body from hypothermia. At the harshest time of the year, its thickness is about ten centimeters.

With such thermal insulation, bears are not afraid of storms, severe frosts, or ice water ocean and northern seas. Polar bears are excellent swimmers. In search of prey, they can swim up to 80 kilometers a day. In this they are helped by the special structure of their paws, between the toes of which there are membranes. When swimming, the animal's limbs act like flippers.

What is the food of the northern bear?

The polar bear is a predator, so it feeds on the meat of animals that live near it. The bear hunts both in water and on land. The predator can easily cope with smaller animals, such as seals, in the water. He stuns the victim with a blow of his paw and pulls him out onto the ice.

A polar bear can compete with a walrus only on land. The skin of a killed animal and fat are the main delicacy for a predator. If there is no severe hunger, then the bear leaves the meat untouched; it is eaten by other smaller predators.

Reasons for the decline in animal numbers

Any person, if he tries to find out everything about the polar bear, will easily find information that one female bear is capable of giving birth to no more than fifteen cubs in her life. When feeding offspring, the death of the young is inevitable - harsh living conditions make themselves felt. Comparing these two facts, it is not difficult to assume that a reduction in the number of animals is possible due to natural reasons.

To this we must add facts of illegal hunting, the object of which is increasingly becoming polar bears. The Red Book of our country and other countries of the world is trying to stop the process of reducing the number of these animals.

Animals of the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation

The polar bear, along with other animals, has been under state protection since 1956. Hunting for it is completely prohibited in Russia. In countries such as Canada and the USA, it is limited.

For the population living in the northern regions of the Earth, polar bears have long been the object of hunting. The Red Book of states interested in preserving the animal population tried to change the situation.

The meat and skin of bears, for the sake of which they were destroyed, modern world They are not the only source of food available to humans, nor are they the only material used to furnish a home or make clothing. Therefore, hunting bears was no longer considered a necessity. It is classified as poaching and is prosecuted by law.

As a result measures taken A rare animal was saved - a polar bear. The Red Book published a description of the numbers and types of the population in 1993. By this time, there was not only a restoration of individuals, but also a slight increase in the number of animals.