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5 Fun Polar Bear Facts

Unlike many of their bear relatives, polar bears don’t hibernate. Males and non-pregnant females remain active hunters throughout the harsh Arctic winter, while pregnant females take refuge in snow dens to give birth and care for their young until spring.

Polar bear paws are wonderfully adapted for Arctic survival. The size of dinner plates and equipped with soft bumps known as papillae, their paws provide crucial traction on slippery ice. Each paw functions like a natural snowshoe to distribute their weight evenly and prevent them from breaking through ice and sinking into the snow.

Polar bears employ a unique reproductive strategy called delayed implantation. The fertilized egg remains in a state of dormancy for several months, not implanting in the uterus immediately. This delay ensures that the cubs are born during the optimal survival period, generally between late November and January when mothers have enough body fat to sustain both themselves and their cubs.

Scientists have discovered that each individual has a distinct whisker pattern. This unique feature allows researchers to identify individual bears non-invasively, providing a crucial tool for studying and protecting these magnificent creatures.

Polar bears exhibit extraordinary fasting abilities, surviving up to eight months without food by relying on their fat reserves during the ice-free summer and early fall. However, as the Arctic warms at a rate four times faster than the rest of the world, these critical periods are extending, forcing polar bears to endure even longer fasts without the sea ice platforms they need for hunting. This dire situation underscores the urgency of WCS’s conservation efforts in the Arctic and beyond.

We’re committed to mitigating the impact of climate change on these irreplaceable animals, and others around the world. You can help today by making a special gift. We need your support now more than ever to save wildlife and the wild places they need to survive.

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