Polar Bear Facts

Tag: Polar Bear Facts

  • Do Polar Bears Eat Birds? – Polar Bear Secondary Prey

    Polar bears must consume ringed or bearded seals in order to survive the arctic environment. But over the past few decades possibly due to climate change the ice floes break up making it difficult for bears to hunt its primary prey. As it turns out the bear resorts to eating birds and other alternative food sources that give them minimum nourishment. While birds do not seem to provide polar bear enough fats or nutritious value to help them live through the hibernation period it nevertheless makes sure that the bear doesn’t die of starvation. Let’s see how do polar bears eat birds.

    Do Polar Bears Eat Birds?

    Ice bears are quite adaptable and probably a little creative in altering their feeding habits. Scientists have observed that the bears are now trying to supplement their primary diet with some birds.

    The research journal Polar Ecology of 2013 showed several video clips of a polar bear actively hunting birds including snow geese. In a journal the researchers noted that the bear now resorts to consume young snow geese as well as adult geese—showing flexible foraging behavior.

    Read More: What Do Polar Bears Eat?

    Scientists believe that polar bears have never hunted or even pursued birds like this before. It shows a significant variation in the bear’s ecology or desperation in food.

    She is thought to eat more birds in mid-summer and early spring. Yet another published in 2013 Polar Bear Ecology and Evolution suggested that the bears’ diet was far different 40 years ago from what it is now and this has much to do with the global warming. Polar bears inhabiting the Hudson Bay lowlands are likely to prey on birds and birds’ eggs.


    Apart from global warming another possible reason as to why polar bears eat birds might be due to bear’s longevity. Adult bears especially 22 – 25 years age eventually become too weak to hunt large prey such as seals. As a result they begin to find easy targets which are usually birds.

    In the southern Svalbard researchers believe that polar bears are beginning to arrive on the nesting sites earlier than the previous years. It shows the extremities of hunger in bears for seabirds which are turning out to be endangered within the polar bear’s reach. Each passing day polar bears are eating more and more eggs.

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    According to the National Geographic many seabirds are losing their arctic habitats because they become the meal of polar bears. The guillemot, one of the arctic seabirds, is quite threatened by the presence of ice bear and the latter actively searches for her. Many a times bear climbs up the rocky cliffs to find birds’ eggs and their chicks. The Norwegian and Greenland polar bears also eat barnacle geese, glaucous geese, and eider ducks.

    “In most of the years since, predation has been really severe.” He has observed polar bears eating more than 200 eggs in 2 hours, and last year no chicks or eggs of any species—barnacle geese, eiders, and glaucous gulls—survived”– Jouke Prop, an ornithologist.

    Do Polar Bears Eat Birds? – Video

  • Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Wolves?

    Polar bears do not typically eat arctic wolves. That is not to say that they can’t. Arctic wolves are small mammals as compared to bears therefore they stand no chance against the supreme predator such as this. It’s just that arctic wolves do not make up the essential part of the polar bear’s diet. However at times hungry boars come across the wolf’s den and capture wolf’s pups. While arctic wolf doesn’t seem to provide any nutritious value polar bears eat them only in desperate times when the food is scarce and the bear has been starving for 2 – 3 months.

    Read More: Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Foxes?

    Arctic wolf’s pups are highly vulnerable to polar bears because the latter possesses an acute sense of smell. Polar bears can smell their prey a mile away. Their powerful jaws allow them to break the wolf’s skull with ease and drag them to the bear’s den for cubs to munch on. Polar bears are opportunistic hunters and they will kill just about anything that comes along the way.

    Read More: Do Polar Bears Eat Penguins?

    Polar bears likely encounter arctic wolves on the northernmost part of North America as well as on the eastern Greenland. Like polar bears, arctic wolves also camouflage themselves against predators but still bears rely on their sense of smell for hunting rather than sight—so the wolf stands very minimum chance to escape.

    Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Wolves? – Video

  • Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Foxes?

    Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) appear to share the same geographic distribution in that both species inhabit the Northern Hemisphere—Arctic. Foxes rarely get killed by polar bears but they do show a tendency to get closer to such a large predator especially when both of them find a dead animal to feed on. Let us see if polar bears really eat arctic foxes. 

    Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Foxes?

    Polar bears for the most part of their lives rely on ringed and bearded seals. They love to eat seals all day long. However when the primary prey is not available (as is often do) the bears must supplement their diet with some secondary animals. It happens mostly in summer when bears search for land-based mammals. During winter, the ice-floes eventually become too thin to support bear’s weight and as it turns out polar bears choose other animals such as foxes, birds and carcasses to make up the deficiency of food.

    Polar bears do interact with many small arctic mammals. Arctic foxes are one of them. They have a predator-prey relationship. That is not to say that polar bears actively pursue arctic foxes or migrate long distances in search of them. Polar bears do not hunt arctic foxes in a way they hunt seals. It is just that bear’s opportunistic nature seems to dominate her choice to eat just about any animal no matter how insignificant it appears to be. Besides, like polar bears arctic foxes are also scavengers. They smell the carcass and if they find one they try to get one. During this time if a bear shows up following the same carcass smell then perhaps the fox becomes the prey along with the carcass. Now polar bear can probably focus on fresh live animal (fox) instead of a dead carcass.

    White bears consume seals because seals are full of blubber. White bears need that blubber in days of hibernation. Arctic foxes on the other hand do not seem to provide any such nutritional value. Nevertheless foxes can make a pretty handy meal when the food is scarce.

    Do Polar Bears Eat Arctic Foxes? – Video

  • Do Polar Bears Attack Humans | Do Polar Bears Eat People?

    Yes they probably do! The rapid change in climate has caused the Arctic’s sea ice to melt at an increasing pace. The melting of ice in turn brings polar bears and humans closer ever than before. Over the past few decades several polar bear attacks on humans have been reported and they are likely to rise in future. It occurs because bears are now adapting to hunt on land as they cannot survive the summer months without food. Let’s see why do polar bears eat people.

    Do Polar Bears Attack Humans?

    That said, polar bears are less likely to look at humans as a potential food source but they are more inclined to see humans as a threat. They do not actively pursue humans just like they hunt seals or other animals. Polar bears never eat humans. It just happens that sometimes humans’ camps near the polar bear’s habitat and the bear smells their presence and attack them. It’s not wrong to assume that polar bears are curious animals. Their increased curiosity (alongside hunger) brings them close to humans.

    Polar bears will attack humans when bears feel threatened by the human presence. It happens when humans get close to the bear’s habitat. Polar bears might maul if they are hungry or when the mother bear is with her cubs. She will not tolerate any suspected predator near her cubs.

    Do Polar Bears Attack Humans? – Video showing a BBC cameraman is inside the cube and he’s attacked by a female polar bear but a hungry one.

    Polar Bear Attacks on Humans

    1.) On December 8, 1990 a polar bear attacked 28-year-old Carl Stalker who was walking with her girlfriend in Point Lay, Alaska. The bear killed Carl and started eating him. Authorities killed the bear immediately at the same place where the Carl died.

    2.) On July 9, 1999 a male polar bear attacked two people on the Hudson Bay camp but fortunately both of them survived with major injuries. One of the adult females Hattie Amitnak (age 64) attempted to distract the animal and the bear charged for her. However she escaped. Hattie was later awarded with the posthumous medal for her bravery.

    3.) In the year 2010 a polar bear attacked one of the explorers at his camp in Svalbard, Norway. The arctic’s apex predator pulled the 22-year-old Sebastian Nilssen from his camp and dragged him 130 feet along the ice. The other camper Fjeld shot the bear and the Nilssen’s life was saved. He suffered major injuries on his chest and head.

    4.) In 2009 a captive polar bear attacked a woman who tried to swim inside the bear’s enclosure. The attack was understandably expected since woman was neither a zookeeper nor did she possess any special skills to handle polar bears. She just jumped into the enclosure for fun. The incident occurred in the Berlin zoo and the woman was pulled back in time. The bear bit many times on the woman’s legs and back. However, she managed to get away and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    do polar bears attack humans?
    A 4-year-old polar bear attacked a woman who tried to swim towards a bear. Do polar bears eat humans. Photo by Daily Mail.
    do polar bears attack humans?
    A polar bear holding woman’s cardigan in her mouth. Do polar bears eat humans? Photo by Daily Mail.

    5.) In March 2016, a woman was feeding chicken bones to a polar bear in Cape Schmidt in Chukotka, east Russia. The polar bear attacked her but her husband stood nearby and he did something no one has ever imagined. He threw his dog at the polar bear to save his wife’s life—probably one of the worst things you’d ever expect. Nonetheless, the woman managed to get away with some bruises but no serious injuries reported. However we do not know what might have happened to the dog one that was thrown at a bear.

    Do Polar Bears Eat People? – Video showing a polar attacks a woman and a woman’s husband throws a dog at polar bear in order to save her wife. Some of you might find it disturbing so viewers discretion is advised.

  • Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Do you have any idea where do polar bears and penguins live? No! Polar bears and penguins live in absolutely different locations. Polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere while penguins inhabit the Southern Hemisphere. They are far apart—living on the opposite ends. It is reasonable to believe that none of them ever saw the other in their native habitats. Possibility may exist that some polar bears migrate to the South Pole (since habitat conditions are almost the same) but no such movement has ever been reported. Let us study as if polar bears and penguins live in the same place.

    Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Penguins are flightless aquatic birds while polar bears are marine mammals but they do hunt on land. Polar bears live in the Arctic which is a polar region and it occurs at the northernmost tip of the earth. Penguins, on the contrary, live in the southernmost part of the earth, Antarctic.

    What if Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Should polar bears start living in the Antarctic no penguin would dare to survive because polar bears are land-based predators and also due to the fact that penguins are flightless birds. They cannot escape if they cannot fly—not at least from polar bears.

    But penguins are able to dive into the water. Well, let’s not forget that polar bears are outstanding swimmers too. They do it all too well as a matter of fact white bears spend half of their entire life in water. Had penguins been living in the Arctic or polar bears in the Antarctic the relationship between the two would be a predator-prey relationship. Thanks to nature that has kept both species apart and alive.

    Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live in the Same Place? – Video

  • Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    Like polar bears killer whales (orcas) are also apex predators. They are called the wolves of the sea primarily because orcas hunt in packs. However killer whales do not eat polar bears. Sea turtles, fish, cephalopods, and sea birds form the essential components of killer whale’s diet.

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    • Orcas are able to reach the maximum speed of 25 miles per hour which qualify them as one of the fastest marine mammals. At this speed they feed on medium-sized preys to as large as minke whales. Polar bears can never become the diet of orcas but certain unreported incidents in the past showed that orcas do kill polar bears.
    • Still scientists do not recognize the fact of polar bears getting killed by orcas because both marine mammals seem to share many behavioral traits. Besides, none of them has any natural predator in the arctic.
    • The polar bear cubs can fall prey to the killer whales (when their mother is not around) which made biologists to believe that orcas eat polar bears. Apart from that polar bears never become the regular part of the killer whale’s diet.
    • Killer whales must eat polar bears at regular intervals (which they don’t!) just like they eat fish or turtles; only in this way white bears can become the orca’s diet. Merely one or two incidents doesn’t make either of them predator of the other. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that killer whales do not eat polar bears.

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears? – Video

  • Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Male and female polar bears not only differ in their sizes but also somewhat in behavioral traits. Polar bears are the most sexually dimorphic mammals that is to say there is a significant and obvious difference in their sizes as well as in weight.

    Male polar bears are nearly twice the size of female bears. The typical weight of an adult male is about 450 kg (992 lb) in contrast to female’s weight of 150 – 250 kg (331–551 lb). Clearly there is a substantial difference in weights. Similarly the female is also smaller in body length as compared to males.

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Mature males are far more aggressive than adult females. Cannibalism is quite common in male bears as they often engage in killing and sometimes eating cubs that belong to the other social unit.

    Females are extremely devoted mothers whereas males take no part in raising cubs. The female bears take the responsibility not only for rearing cubs but also to protect them against predators. Many a times it is seen that a female in a desperate attempt to relocate to a new dens, carrying cubs in her mouth. The devotion of a female bear is so much so that she can even rear a cub that doesn’t originally belong to her family.

    Males neither defend their social unit nor do possess any unusual skills as a father. They just remain with female for as long as two weeks after which they leave once for all.

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears – Video

  • Are Polar Bears Endangered? | Why are Polar Bears Endangered?

    Are Polar Bears Endangered? | Why are Polar Bears Endangered?

    No, polar bears are not endangered they are listed as Vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. However it is more likely than not to occur that white bears fall into the category of endangerment. Scientists claim that polar bears face high risk of endangerment in the next 20 years or so possibly due to rapid climate change, human hunting, and scarcity of food. On the contrary recent findings show that the overall global population of polar bears has been stable. It clearly suggests the divided opinion of scientists on polar bear status.

    Are Polar Bears Endangered?

    Endangered species are those species that are likely to become extinct in the next few decades if the appropriate conservation efforts are not made. The status is defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Endangered species are listed on the Red List of IUCN.

    Why are Polar Bears not Endangered?

    Studies show that there is a slightest chance of polar bears getting extinct—not at least in the next 20 years. Thus they are not endangered. While many factors such as excessive hunting, harvesting, and climate change contribute towards polar bears future endangerment still the overall population is more than 20,000. The maximum population size is 25,000 which can qualify polar bears as vulnerable species but certainly not endangered animals.

    Why are Polar Bears going to be Endangered in 2030?

    Factors such as these are likely to change the polar bear’s conservation status in near future. We can probably imagine that polar bear may face rapid decline in her population given the climate continues to change; the habitat continues to be threatened, and the indigenous people continue to hunt polar bears.

    Read More: Are Polar Bears going Extinct?

    Climate Change/Global Warming

    The overall warming of the earth’s surface temperature has caused the Arctic sea ice to melt. As it turns out summers are longer than winter and bears are forced to stay on land more than ever. Unlike before, polar bears must learn to hunt land mammals which might be a tough ask since polar bears are marine mammals. They are adept to spend so much time in water; playing and hunting seals. Currently the survival on land is turning into a major challenge. If the global warming goes on with time then it can pose serious threats to the polar bear’s existence.

    Indigenous People Hunting

    The native people in Canada and Greenland are allowed to hunt polar bears because their living depends on it. They eat meat and they sell polar bear’s skin and coat in the village market. However villagers are not permitted to deal commercially outside the village. The legal hunting by the locals is going to hit the polar bears’ population in the years to come.

    Are Polar Bears Endangered? – Video

  • Can Polar Bears Jump? – How High Can a Polar Bear Jump?

    Can Polar Bears Jump? – How High Can a Polar Bear Jump?

    Polar bears do not jump in a way other land predators do. Tigers have got the amazing ability to jump right from the spot they’re standing. Siberian tigers can jump up to 12 feet high vertically. Their hind limbs are strong enough to push their body upwards and lift heavy weight. Polar bears on the other hand have massive stocky body and their back is relatively high as compared to the front. The physical built of a polar bear makes her difficult to jump vertical upwards.

    Polar bears can nevertheless jump horizontally which is often seen when they move from one ice floe to the other. However they cannot jump while running. The unorthodox physic of bear doesn’t seem to allow her to jump during running. But they can and they do (often) stand on their hind legs especially during play-fight. Ice bears also jump when they are about to dive into the water. An act of jumping always takes place in a forward horizontal direction in polar bears.

    Can Polar Bears Jump? – Video