A curious young male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) standing up on the sea ice near Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada, by Michael Nolan
Polar Bear Day
The King of the North
A great white bear has roamed the frozen north since prehistoric times. It is a massive hypercarnivore that can survive temperatures as low as -50° Fahrenheit and thrive in conditions too severe for most mammals. This is the Polar Bear, the King of the North. It is the largest living bear and the greatest land predator on Earth.
A polar bear mid-leap, Ursus maritimus. North polar ice cap, Arctic ocean, by Sergio Pitamitz
Polar Bears are native to Arctic and the frozen north lands of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Svalbard (Norway). They can be found along coastlines, on sea ice, and in open water during the cold seasons but will inhabit islands and the arctic tundra when the sea ice melts.
This powerful apex predator is known by many names, including the Ice Bear, the Sea Bear, Nannut, Ursus maritimus, and, to the Indigenous people of North America, Nanook. Inuit believed this awesome yet fearsome creature to be a deity with supernatural powers and the master of all bears.
For the Scandinavians, the great bear was known as Isbjorn (ice bear) and hvitebjørn (white bear). Nordic people believed the polar bear was their sacred spirit animal and today it remains an important part of their Nordic heritage.
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and cubs, Wapusk National Park, Churchill, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada, by David Jenkins
The Arctic was named from the Greek word arktos, meaning “bear”. The far north is the polar bear’s domain and its hunting ground. This magnificent species primarily feeds on sea ice-dependent animals such as seals: it is a keystone species for Arctic sea ice. In recent years the ice has diminished, leading to concern for the future of many Arctic species.
Will the great ice bears disappear from the wild in our lifetime?
Another story that makes you think.
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NatAtEnv was formed by BioTriad Environmental, Inc. to provide entertaining and informative media while keeping the wonders of nature in the public eye.
