Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are apex predators as their super strength puts them at the top of the food chain. They are the arctic’s rulers for no other animal—not even the heaviest of the Arctic’s mammals can dare to rival them. It clearly suggests that polar bears do not have any natural predator in the arctic world. The polar bear is only one of its kind. But polar bear cubs do have some natural predators in the wild. Let us read more about the polar bear predators to see what animals eat polar bears in the Arctic.
What Eats Polar Bears? – Polar Bear Predators
However powerful polar bears may appear to be there is always one predator that can threaten their survival no matter what. And the predator is no other than human. Bears have long suffered from the brutal nature of humans. Every year 50 to 60 polar bears are hunted—some for food purposes while others for commercial reasons.
The arctic is no place for humans to live on. That is why very few humans have managed to settle in the most inhospitable place on earth. This is probably a good news for polar bears as their habitat might flourish in the absence of humans.
Polar Bear Cubs Predators
Read More: Polar Bear Cub
While adults are powerful enough to deal with any possible threat the cubs are too weak to possess such strength. The chief predators of polar bear cubs are other mature polar bears especially the males. Male bears are less likely to tolerate a female walking with her cubs except in a situation when the entire family is a unit. When the food is scarce adult bears might kill their cubs and eat them. The cannibalism in polar bears is not rare but it only occurs when the bear is too hungry or far too weak to hunt seals.
Arctic wolves sometimes find and kill polar bear’s cubs in their den. Mother bears are usually devoted and dedicated parents and she always keeps her yearlings closer to her, however when she goes out to hunt leaving her cubs unattended the predator reaches den to kill them.
How Do Polar Bears Protect themselves from Predators?
Main Article: How Do Polar Bears Protect Themselves?
Polar bears don’t need to protect themselves from predators but if they must they would have camouflaged their white color into the arctic’s snowy background. Even scientists couldn’t recognize polar bears when they were taking shots from the air.
