I was very surprised when I learned that the polar bear, it turns out, is not white at all. His skin is completely black. Did you know about this? I decided to collect Interesting Facts about one of the symbols of the Sochi Olympics and tell you about them. You will find out where polar bears live and why polar bears are white.

Polar bear - the biggest representative of predators on Earth. Some bears are up to 3 meters long and weigh more than a thousand kilograms. Despite their size and apparent clumsiness, they are very agile and fast. They can walk 40 kilometers a day and easily overcome ice hummocks almost two meters high.

They live on the edges of polar ice. For these bears, the cold sea is their native element. Bears are saved from the cold by a thick layer of fat, which can be 10 centimeters, and a skin with thick warm wool. Even the soles of their paws are protected by fur. The northern bear is an excellent swimmer.

The toe pads on its paws are connected by swimming membranes, with the help of which it swims tens of kilometers. He dives well, while his eyes are open, and the polar bear knows how to close the openings of his nostrils and ears.

The bear has excellent hearing and vision. He smells prey behind 5-7 kilometers and is able to detect a barely noticeable smell through a layer of snow one and a half meters deep.

Why are polar bears white?

Interestingly, although polar bear and is called white, his skin is absolutely black. And the hairs of the fur are completely transparent and hollow inside, like thin tubes. Their inner surface splits light and reflects it at different angles, which creates the appearance white . In summer, the fur turns yellow due to constant exposure to sunlight.

After eating, polar bears like to sleep in order to save energy for the future. But in hibernation Among the polar tramples, only she-bears, expecting offspring, fall into water.

All polar bears- left-handed.

The bear, with a big sweet tooth, easily opens a metal can of condensed milk, crushing it between his front paws. The jar is flat, and the condensed milk is on the paws.

Due to the structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes turn green. This happens in hot climates (in zoos), when microscopic algae grow inside the hairs. And if you spray antiseptic on his fur, he will turn purple.

Polar bears build multi-room dens in the snow, even with an exhaust hood.

The polar bear is an animal whose habitat is limited. This is probably why information about him is of interest. About what natural area Where the polar bear lives, what kind of life it leads, read the article.

General information

The polar bear is considered a unique mammal that is on the verge of extinction. This predator is called a polar bear, umka, nanuk, oshkuy. Where does the polar bear live? The mainland, coastal zones and drifting ice - polar bears live here. Their habitat is the north, and their diet is fish and small animals. There are cases of attacks on people. The number of polar bears several centuries ago was in the hundreds of thousands. But currently, due to their systematic destruction, the number of unique animals has decreased significantly, which is alarming.

Polar bears are the largest land mammals predators on Earth. Their ancestors were giant animals of this species, whose length reached four meters and weighed more than a ton. Modern bears are inferior to them in size. It depends on what natural zone the polar bear lives in and on what continent. For example, the largest animals of this species are found on the coast of the Bering Sea. Their length reaches three meters, and their body weight is 500 kilograms.

These animals are very hardy. Despite their clumsiness, they move very quickly on land and water, have excellent hearing and an excellent sense of smell. They can smell prey at a distance of one kilometer. Their lifespan is natural environment- from 20 to 30 years, and in captivity, a zoo - about 45-50. This is due to the fact that the food supply is significantly reduced, the ice melts every year, which is why bears have to leave more southern regions, and the extermination of bears by humans for the sake of skin and meat does not stop. In our country, hunting this animal is prohibited.

Where does the polar bear live, in what zone?

The habitats of this animal are the Arctic and tundra zones of Russia, the USA, Greenland, and Canada. Most polar bears inhabit areas where long-term drifting ice with its permanent inhabitants - walruses and seals - has become widespread. These animals spend a lot of time near the polynya big size. They stand on its edge and wait for a fur seal or seal to appear on the surface.

Polar bears in the polar latitudes

In what natural area does the polar bear live? Animals can be found in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Arctic natural zone. Their habitat is subpolar latitudes. They live in the ice floating off the coast of America and Eurasia. Polar bears are the only large predators in the Arctic that have adapted to live normally in harsh conditions. For example, they safely wait out snow storms in deep holes dug in snowdrifts.

Where does the polar bear live, on what continent?

The habitats of the polar bear have not yet been precisely established. They are identified by the main concentration of the population. Most of all, predators prefer to settle:

• On the eastern shores of seas such as the East Siberian and Kara, in the cold waters of the Laptev Sea, as well as on the archipelago New Earth and the New Siberian Islands. A population called “Laptev” lives here.
• In the cold waters of the Chukchi and northern Bering seas, on the Herald and Wrangel islands. A population called “Chukchi-Alaskan” lives here.
• On the shores of the Barents and western Kara Seas, on the islands of Novaya Zemlya, Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land. The population living here is called the “Kara-Barents Sea”.

Many people associate the Arctic with polar bears. This is not entirely correct. The fact is that predators are extremely rare there. They prefer to live next to warmer, southern seas, here they have a better chance of survival. Predators do not have a permanent habitat. It varies depending on the boundaries of polar ice. For example, if the ice melts during the prolonged polar summer, animals then do not remain in this place - they go north, towards the pole. When winter comes, they come south again, as they give greater preference to continents and coastal areas covered with ice. In addition, the ice is extremely unstable during melting, which also forces animals to leave these places, they go to the coast. But there is not enough food for them, as a result of which the bears lose weight, and this negatively affects future cubs.

Lifestyle

The polar bear is a fierce predator. Animals live alone; individuals of different sexes gather together only during the mating season. For movement, they use their own territory, conquered from relatives, including females with offspring. It doesn’t matter what natural zone a polar bear lives in, but when the Arctic winter ends, small cubs are born. Females prepare for their birth in advance by gathering together.

They make dens and hibernate in them. Just before birth they wake up. After the cubs appear, they stay with them in the den for several weeks. Surprisingly, the cubs are born very small, their weight barely reaches half a kilogram.

The polar bear is the most large animal not only among bears, but among all predators. There are huge males, whose body length reaches 280 cm, height at the withers – 150 cm, and weight – 800 kg; females are smaller and lighter.

The species is listed in the IUCN Red Book and the Russian Red Book. Limited hunting is permitted only for the indigenous population of the North.

Polar bears live in the polar regions in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Distributed to the north - up to 88° N. sh., to the south - to Newfoundland, on the mainland - in the arctic desert zone to the tundra zone.

Polar bears all year round associated with drifting and fast sea ice. They come to land rarely and not for long. 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; to do this, they make long journeys overland, moving strictly north.








In the harsh conditions of the Arctic, there is no usual alternation of day and night. There is no pronounced daily activity in the animals inhabiting it. During winter hibernation, widely known for brown bears, not all polar bears fall. Winter sleep is typical only for female bears who are 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 usually active all year round, holed up in freshly dug dens in the snow only during heavy snowstorms






The polar bear, unlike its omnivorous relatives, is a predator that actively hunts large animals. Its main victims are Arctic seals, ringed seals, and bearded seals. Sometimes the bear hunts the young of large marine mammals - walruses, beluga whales and narwhals. When the sea washes the corpse of a whale ashore, several predators gather near the carcass.

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






Mating in polar bears occurs in spring or summer. Up to 3 and even up to 7 males gather around the female. The mating couple stays together for a short time, only while the female is in estrus, which is only 3 days.

The polar bear migrates widely from the coasts of the Arctic Ocean all the way to the Pole. But in the fall, pregnant females come to the land of the islands or mainland where they make a den. Long before hibernating, the female bear manages to gain enough fat, which she spends throughout the winter.

Pregnant females lie down in dens for winter sleep for up to six months, and births also occur here in the midst of severe winter. Usually 1-3 bear cubs appear. They are born blind, naked and deaf, weighing about 500-750 g. Polar bear milk is very fatty and nutritious. The cubs begin to see the light in a month, in the second month (weighing 10 kg) their teeth erupt, by this time the cubs begin to leave the den. The mother gradually accustoms them to cold, wind and light. And after another month or two, the family leaves the den completely and goes out onto the ice.

The cubs do not part with the mother bear for a year and a half. The female jealously protects her offspring, in particular from males, who are very dangerous for cubs.

Females reach sexual maturity at 4 years, males later










Polar bears do not stick to specific individual areas. Adult animals, as a rule, roam alone. Having caught a seal and having had its fill, the predator sleeps right there, at the site of a successful hunt, and, waking up, wanders on.







In the vastness of the icy desert, it is difficult for such a giant to remain unnoticed for prey. His camouflage fur coat helps out the clubfoot. Freezing in place, the bear merges with the surrounding landscape. The seal will have no idea why the snowdrift suddenly rose and hit him with its paw.






Why is the bear white? If you look at it, this bear should be called not white, but colorless. It lacks the pigment that is responsible for the color of its fur. It is interesting to see a single hair under magnification. It turns out that it resembles a thin hollow tube. The inside of the tube is uneven. Due to this, the light is fragmented and reflected at different angles, which creates the appearance of white.

But the polar bear does not always appear as such a colorless person. In summer, under the influence of active sun, its coat acquires a yellow tint. There are polar bears with green stuff. You can usually see such specimens in places that are unusual for them. climatic zones. For example, in zoos in tropical countries. Bears turn green because microscopic algae grow in their hollow fur.


So, we found out that a polar bear can be white, yellow, and even green. But no matter what color its fur is, if we part it, we will find a dark, almost black animal! As dark as the tip of a bear's nose. This skin color contributes to the least heat transfer, which is important in the harsh polar climate. Well, Mother Nature simply endowed the polar bear with amazing coverings! Thanks to them, he will not freeze and will be able to feed himself.

Threats to the species:

For polar bears, the main natural limiting factor is the number and availability of seals. Low reproduction rates and relatively high mortality among bear cubs also limit population growth. Trichinosis, which is widespread among polar bears, apparently also causes some damage to the population. Long-term changes in numbers are apparently associated with cooling and warming climates in the Arctic. Among anthropogenic factors, illegal shooting (it took on a particularly large scale in Chukotka), habitat pollution, and disturbance factors have a negative impact on populations. A decrease in the number of seals can occur not only due to the influence of natural factors, but also due to human fault.


In captivity, a polar bear can live more than 30 years, but less in the wild.

Polar (or polar) bear - carnivorous mammal, belonging to the Bear family. Ursus maritimus - his Latin name. Where does a polar bear live and what does it eat? How does it reproduce and interact with other animals? What is its population? Where does the animal live? More on this later in the article.

Origin

It was initially assumed that the separation of the brown and polar bear happened about 45-150 thousand years ago, possibly in the territory occupied by modern Ireland. But recent research has revealed that the division occurred about 338-934 thousand years ago. About one hundred to two hundred years ago, representatives of species crossed, which resulted in hybridization. As a result, all polar bears inhabiting the planet today are descendants of the resulting hybrids.

External data

The polar bear is considered one of the most major representatives terrestrial mammals from the order of predators. The height of individuals can reach 3 m, weight - up to a ton. The most common are males, whose weight is from 400 to 450 kg, and their body length is up to 250 cm. At the withers, the height is from 130 to 150 centimeters. Females weigh significantly less - from 200 to 300 kg. The smallest representatives live on Spitsbergen, and the largest ones live in the Bering Sea. The white bear is distinguished from other bears by its flat head and long neck.

Skin color - black. The fur can range in color from yellowish to white (in summer the “fur coat” may turn yellow due to constant exposure to direct sunlight). The fur is hollow, and the fur itself is devoid of pigment. Translucent hairs are capable of transmitting, due to which the cover acquires thermal insulating properties. When carrying out UV photography, a polar bear may appear dark, and sometimes it may even turn green. This usually happens if a white bear is in a zoo, in a hot climate. Due to the special structure of the hairs, microscopic algae grow in them - hence green color skins. In order not to freeze and not slide on the ice, the soles of all limbs are lined with wool. There is a swimming membrane between the toes, and hard bristles are present on the front of the paws. Further in the article we will learn more about what polar bears eat.

Life

Polar bears live on fast ice and drifting ice. There they hunt and get their main food. What do polar bears eat? Their main food is ringed seal, walrus and others. They catch their prey by sneaking from behind cover or near holes. As soon as the victim removes its head from the water, the animal stuns it with a blow from its paw and drags it ashore. A polar bear can also knock over an ice floe on which seals are sitting. Walrus hunting is carried out only on land. As a rule, it eats lard and skin. In case of severe hunger, it devours the entire walrus carcass. But usually the remains of the caught animal are then eaten by arctic foxes. But that's not all that polar bears eat. On occasion, they can also pick up carrion, dead chicks, fish, and eggs. Their diet also includes grass. If polar bears appear in human-inhabited areas, they can be seen in garbage dumps, not far from household and food waste dumps.

There are even known cases of them robbing food warehouses of polar expeditions. Everything that polar bears eat contributes to the accumulation of vitamin A in their liver. This compound is contained in their body in sufficient quantities large quantities. There are even reports of several cases of liver poisoning. Does a polar bear eat penguins? This question may arise from those who are new to the habitat of these animals. It is known that penguins inhabit the South, and polar bears - North Pole. IN natural conditions There is no way they can meet. It was described above what polar bears eat. And representatives of the South Pole are not included in their diet.

Nomads

In accordance with the annual change in the boundaries of polar ice, polar bears make seasonal transitions. IN summer time they retreat closer to the pole, and in winter they migrate to the southern territories, entering the mainland. Despite the fact that polar bears mainly stay on ice and coasts, they can lie down in dens on islands or on the mainland, in some cases fifty kilometers from the sea. Winter hibernation, the duration of which varies from 50 to 80 days, is usually characteristic of pregnant females. Single females and males do not mate annually and for a fairly short period.

Behavior

Despite their apparent slowness at first glance, bears are fast and agile even on land. In water they dive and swim quite easily. The bear's body is protected from getting wet and cold in the water by dense and very thick hair. A special adaptive task is performed by subcutaneous fat with a layer of up to ten centimeters. The camouflage of a predatory animal is greatly facilitated by its light coloring. Polar bears have very well developed hearing, vision and sense of smell. They can see their prey from several kilometers away, and, for example, they can smell a seal from 800 meters away.

Reproduction

The rut for polar bears begins in March and ends in June. In estrus, a female is usually followed by three or four males. By October, females begin to dig dens in the sediment. Bears have favorite territories where they gather (Wrangel Island, for example). Every year there are about 150-200 burrows in such places. Mother bears settle in dens only by mid-November, after the latent stage of bearing cubs has ended. The entire pregnancy lasts 230-250 days. At the end or in the middle of the Arctic winter, cubs are born. The female herself remains in hibernation until April. It should be said that female bears have a low reproductive potential. The first offspring appears at 4-8 years. Childbirth occurs every two to three years, with one to three cubs in one litter. As a result, a female brings no more than ten to fifteen cubs in her entire life. Newborns weigh from 450 to 750 grams. After three months, the female leaves the den with them and begins a wandering life. The cubs remain with their mother for up to one and a half years. During this entire period, she feeds the cubs with milk.

Social structure

It should be said that mortality among cubs reaches 10-30%. The life expectancy of bears is no more than 25-30 years, the record for longevity in captivity is forty-five years. As a rule, animals are peaceful relative to members of their own species. But during the mating season, clashes between males can occur. Sometimes adult males attack cubs, mostly males. Polar bears can interbreed with brown bears. As a result, fertile (reproductive) offspring appear - polar grizzlies.

Population status and economic importance

The polar bear is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as rare view. Due to the high mortality rate of young animals and slow reproduction, this animal becomes quite easily vulnerable. But even despite this, today it is considered relatively stable, even growing in some way. Eskimos hunt polar bears for meat and skins. In Russia, hunting of animals has been prohibited since 1956. In other countries (Greenland, Canada and the USA), polar bear hunting is limited. On the territory of Russia today there are about 5-7 thousand individuals. At the same time, poachers shoot about 150-200 bears per year.

The polar bear (other names for the polar bear: polar bear, northern bear, oshkuy, nanuk, umka, sea bear) is one of the largest predators on the planet, which is a member of the Bear family. The big polar bear is the embodiment of strength. Since ancient times, the polar polar bear has become a respected character in folklore among the indigenous northern peoples. In this article you can see a photo and description of a polar bear, learn a lot of new and interesting things about this big and strong predator North.

Why is a polar bear white, or what does a polar bear look like?

The polar bear looks very large and is one of the largest animals in the world. In addition, the polar bear is a predator. The great polar bear looks huge, because it can reach 3 meters in length, while the weight of a polar bear can be as much as a ton. The mass of a polar bear is one of the main components of its impressive size. But such large polar bears are not common.

On average, a male polar bear weighs 450 kg and has a body length of 2-2.5 meters. Females are much smaller. A female polar bear weighs up to 300 kg and her body length is 2 meters. The height of a polar bear at the withers varies from 130 to 150 cm. It is curious that the smallest polar bears are found in Spitsbergen, and the largest polar bears live in the Bering Sea.

The polar bear differs from other bears primarily in that it is white. Why is a polar bear white? Everything is simple here - it is determined by the polar bear’s habitat. After all, in conditions permafrost and snow-white horizons, the polar bear gets the opportunity to remain unnoticed. This is why the polar bear is white.

The polar bear looks slightly different than other members of the Bear family. But it’s not just the color that distinguishes the polar bear from other members of the family. Also distinguishing the Arctic polar bear is Long neck and a flat head shape.

Surprisingly, the skin of the northern polar bear is black, and its nose and lips are the same color. The color of a polar bear's fur varies from completely white to white with a yellowish tint. In summer, the polar bear's fur completely turns yellow under constant exposure to sunlight. This animal has small ears and a short tail, which is completely invisible under a thick snow-white fur coat.

The polar bear's fur is very thick, with dense undercoat and quite coarse. The polar bear's thick fur retains heat and protects its body from getting wet. It is not only thanks to its warm fur that the polar bear does not freeze. Under the skin it has a layer of fat, the thickness of which is about 10 cm. This fat layer allows it not to freeze even in the most severe frosts and when in cold water.

The polar bear's fur has no pigment, and its hairs are empty inside. Due to this structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes turn green. This happens in a climate that is unusual for polar bears to live in. When kept in zoos, algae grow inside the bear's fur, which gives it a greenish tint.

The polar bear looks massive. Nature provided this northern beast with everything necessary for life in the coldest parts of the globe in order to be a perfect predator. The northern polar bear has a warm fur coat and fur on the soles of its paws, which allows it not to slip on ice and not freeze. It even has a membrane between its toes, which makes the polar bear a good swimmer. The polar bear's skin has a thick layer subcutaneous fat so as not to freeze in ice water. The large polar bear also has large claws and impressive fangs, which allow it to cope with even strong prey.

Where does the polar bear live and how does it live?

The polar bear lives in the northern hemisphere of the Earth in the polar regions. This animal is unique and is absolutely not afraid of permafrost, because it is adapted for life in the far north with its harsh conditions. The polar bear lives in the vast Arctic. Polar bear habitat reaches 88 degrees north latitude in the north and extends to the island of Newfoundland in the south.

On the mainland, the polar bear's habitat extends through the Arctic deserts to the tundra in Russia, Canada, the United States and Greenland. The life of a polar bear is associated with the Arctic belt and is highly dependent on seasonal changes in the boundaries of polar ice.

Polar bears live along the entire coast of Greenland, inhabit the ice of the Greenland Sea south to the Jan Mayen Islands, live on the island of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the Barents Sea, on the islands of Bear, Vaygach and Kolguev, as well as in the Kara Sea. The largest populations of polar bears are found off the continental coasts of the Laptev and Beaufort seas, the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. The maximum population of polar bears is represented by the continental slope of the Arctic Ocean.

Polar bears live nomadic lives. During seasonal changes in the polar ice boundaries, they move. In summer, the polar bear moves closer to the pole, and in winter it moves south, entering the mainland. The polar bear lives mainly on the coast and ice, but lies in its den on the mainland or islands. Polar bears hibernate for 1.5-2.5 months, most often pregnant females do this. Males and non-pregnant females go into hibernation for only a short time, and even then not every year.

What does a polar bear eat and how does it hunt?

Unlike such a representative of the Ursidae as the giant panda, the polar bear is a predator. In addition, the northern polar bear is the only one of the largest land predators on the planet that is prone to tracking and hunting humans, considering them to be equal prey. It is not for nothing that the polar bear is one of the most dangerous animals in the world.

The polar bear is the king of the north, because it is at the top of the food chain in the Arctic. Often in children's books, polar bears are depicted in the company of penguins. This may mislead them into thinking they live at the same pole. But this is not so, because the polar bear lives at the North Pole in the Arctic, and penguins live in Antarctica in south pole. Therefore, the answer to the question why polar bears do not eat penguins is very simple - they live at different poles.

The polar bear lives on drifting and perennial sea ​​ice, where he can freely hunt prey. The polar bear feeds on the ringed seal, sea ​​hares, walruses and other marine animals. He sneaks up on them from behind shelters or lies in wait near the holes. As soon as the animal appears, the bear delivers a stunning blow to the victim with one paw. During a hunt, a polar bear can turn over an ice floe on which there are seals. However, an Arctic polar bear can only defeat a walrus on land.

The polar bear feeds by eating primarily the skin and lard. He can eat a whole carcass only as a last resort and when very hungry. Usually the leftovers are eaten by arctic foxes. The polar bear also feeds by picking up carrion, dead fish, bird eggs and chicks. Sometimes polar bears eat grass and seaweed, and in residential areas they enjoy feasting on garbage dumps. The polar polar bear is even capable of robbing the food warehouse of polar expeditions.

Despite the fact that the big polar bear seems clumsy, it is very fast and agile on land, and also swims and dives in water with ease. On land, a polar bear moves at an average speed of 5.5 km/h, and when running it can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. In one day, a polar bear can cover a distance of up to 20 km on land. In water, a polar bear can swim without stopping for several days, covering up to 160 km per day, while its speed reaches up to 6.5 km/h. This animal swims and dives very well, and an Arctic polar bear can stay under water for up to 2 minutes.

The polar bear's fur protects its body from getting wet in icy water, and a 10 cm thick layer of subcutaneous fat provides excellent protection from the cold. The white color perfectly camouflages the predator. Polar polar bears have very well developed senses. Excellent hearing, smell and vision easily help the great polar bear to notice prey at a distance of several kilometers. Even under a meter-long layer of snow, the polar polar bear senses prey and can detect the slightest movement while being above the shelter of a potential victim.

It is better not to come face to face with this predator. After all, a polar bear can track and hunt humans. Repeated cases of polar bear attacks on humans are described in the reports of polar travelers. In places where there is a risk of encountering this animal, you must move carefully.

In populated areas where this predator may appear nearby, you should make sure that it does not have free access to garbage dumps, which are very attractive to curious bears. The Canadian province of Manitoba is home to many polar bears. The city of Churchill even has a special prison for temporary detention of bears that get too close to the city. Such measures ensure the safety of residents.

Polar bear cub, or how does a polar bear cub grow?

Polar bears usually live alone. They are usually quite peaceful and calm towards each other, but the breeding season for males is always accompanied by skirmishes. Mating season for Arctic polar bears it occurs from March to June. At this time, they walk in pairs, but it happens that several males can follow one female at once.

In October, females dig a den in snow drifts on the shore. Mother bears flock en masse to their favorite places to make a den and raise their babies. One of these is the Wrangel Islands and Franz Josef Land, where females make up to 200 dens annually.

Mother bears occupy a den only towards the end of autumn. The entire pregnancy period lasts 8 months. Polar bear cubs are born towards the end of the Arctic winter. Large polar bears have a low increase in offspring, because the ability to breed offspring comes only at the age of 4-8 years, and the female gives birth only once every 2-3 years. Typically, 1 to 3 polar bear cubs are born.

Polar bear cubs are born blind, with short, sparse hair and absolutely helpless. They weigh 500-800 grams with a body length of only 25 cm. The mother intensively feeds the babies with her nutritious milk. At the age of just over a month, polar bear cubs open their eyes. In March, females begin mass exits from their dens. By 2 months, the female begins to gradually take her cubs out for short walks, during which they frolic in the snow.

When polar bear cubs turn 3 months old, the female leaves the den and goes with them to wander through the icy deserts of the Arctic. The female feeds the cubs with milk for up to 1.5 years. But very soon the polar bear cubs begin independent life. A polar bear lives 25-30 years. In captivity this period may be longer. Sometimes polar bears interbreed with brown bears. The hybrids born are called polar grizzlies.

The polar bear is listed in the Red Book of Russia and the world, with the status of a vulnerable species. The great polar bear has a high mortality rate for young animals - 10-30%. Slow reproduction makes this animal easily vulnerable, and climate change greatly affects the lives of polar bears. In addition, adult males often attack young animals.

Since 1957, Russia has introduced a ban on the hunting of polar bears. In 2014, the global number of polar bears was about 25 thousand individuals. There are about 7 thousand polar bears in Russia, and up to 150 individuals are killed by poachers every year.

The great polar bear has no natural enemies. In the water, they can occasionally be attacked by a walrus or killer whale. A polar bear cub that is left unattended by its mother can become a victim of a wolf and arctic fox. But the main threat to the polar polar bear is humans. Despite protective status, the polar bear is suffering from armed poachers.

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