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15 Interesting Facts about Polar Bears

There are several animal species in the world but one of the most fascinating is polar bears because of their lifestyle. Polar bears are believed to be the largest carnivorous animals on land and in the whole world. This is a fact that many people will not accept considering several other astonishing carnivores such as lions. However, polar bears weigh as heavy as 600 kilograms while male bears can weigh even more. These are the only animals whose food is both in water and on the land because they can survive in both environments. Polar bears are found in the arctic region due to their ability to adapt to cold, icy environments and warm temperatures. They represent the culture of the people in the arctic region as well as play a role in the economic development of the region. These animals are above human beings in the food chain because of their massive body size and weight.

Below are 15 interesting facts about polar bears that you might want to know:

1. There are not many Mammals that Live a lonely Life than Polar Bears

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When they are born, polar bears spend a few years in the wings of their mothers, becoming loners over a short period. The cubs stay with each other for three years before breaking out to vent for themselves. Adult polar bears prefer a lonely life and they only meet for a few days for mating and go away in their ways. They go out to hunt on their own which is their hunting tactic as they prefer having their hunts on their own. They depend on their scent and the sweat on their paws to track their way back and forth. They also use the same tactics to track their mates.

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2. Polar bears are the Largest Carnivorous Animals on land 

What would be your response if you were asked about the biggest mammal on land? Many people think that lions, leopards, and panthers are the largest carnivores in the world. However, on the contrary, polar bears are the largest carnivores in the world, weighing up to more than 650 kilograms. Male polar bears are bigger, weighing almost 700 kilograms. These huge animals also measure more than 8 feet from the head to the tip of the tiny tail. Polar bears put on a lot of weight during the hunting season and lose weight during the fasting season. They lose more than half of their total weight during the fasting season.

3. Polar Bears are Selective about the Food they Eat 

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Although they are carnivores, polar bears are picky in terms of the food they eat. Their main hunts are the seals because they are readily available in the arctic region. However, when the hunt is more than enough, the polar bears will only eat the important part of the animal and leave the carcass for scavengers. They only eat the fatty part of the hunt, which makes them gain weight and get fat quickly during good hunting season. Scientists suggest that polar bears have a modified digestive system that turns fats into energy at a faster rate than other animals’ digestive systems.

4. Polar Bears Spend a lot of Time Fasting to Reduce Weight

Polar bears have seasons when they would immerse themselves in hunting seals and eating ceaselessly, and seasons for fasting. When they are not hunting seals, the polar bears spend days, weeks, and months fasting. Female polar bears are champions in fasting as they fast for longer periods than any other mammal in the world. These species of mammals can go hungry for 24o days or more depending on the unavailability of the opportunity to hunt. The fasting periods have changed over time and scientists believe that polar bears will need to fast for longer days in the future due to lack of food.

5. Polar Bears Grow Massively in their First Few Months Accumulating More Than 100 Pounds in Less than a Year

Newborn polar bears weigh about 20 ounces, which is as much as an adult guinea pig. These young ice mammals are born harmless, without teeth, and blind, hence not able to do anything for themselves. The mother takes the responsibility of feeding the little ones with milk until they are four months old. At four months, young polar bears are big enough to come out of their mother’s wings and look for food. They weigh close to 40 pounds at that young age, which doubles in the next four months. An eight-month-old polar bear weighs more than 100 pounds after they begin eating solid food.

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6. Polar Bears are Higher in the Food Chain than Human Beings because they do not have Natural Predators

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Human beings are high in the food chain because there are a few animals that feed on humans. However, polar bears are higher in the food chain than humans according to research. The bears are above humans who are in the middle of the food chain. Polar bears are pure carnivores who have been placed on the same level as giant killer whales in the food chain. However, despite being higher in the food chain than humans, polar bears are not a threat to human beings because there have been only 20 polar bear attacks on humans in more than a century.

7. Although Polar Bears are Land Mammals, they Live in Water and can Swim for Longs Distances and Many Days

Polar bears are notorious swimmers that can swim for a speed of more than 6 meters per hour. They use swimming as an exercise and a means to hunt in different places. They are adopting new swimming skills that help them survive many days of swimming to escape the melting ice. A study reveals that a female polar bear swam for more than 400 miles in a space of nine days setting a record for the longest distance a polar bear traveled via water. The bear ended up losing more than 20 percent of its body weight as it used a lot of energy during the swimming process.

8. Polar Bears have Giants Feet to Balance on Ice and Help have a Grip 

These ice mammals have huge feet that help them stay in balance while they walk on ice. An adult polar bear has huge paws that measure more than 10 inches in diameter that spreads out the weight of the bear to keep the animal stable on ice. The paws also act like snow shoes, with long claws that add to the grip to help the bears avoid slipping on the cold slippery ice.

9. They Travel for very Long Distances to find Food

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Polar bears are among the animals in the world that travel for long distances in their lifetime. Studies have shown that an adult polar bear travels for more than 100,000 square miles before dying. The distance they travel is increasing every year due to the rate at which ice is melting. Therefore the bears are moving away from the melting ice to go look for food in other places. Researchers say that a polar bear traveled from Norway to Russia in a span of a year. The bear was running away from the melting ice, as it moved to a different location to look for food and shelter.

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10. Polar Bears close their Nostrils while they Dive Deep into the Water 

The reason why polar bears can catch seals underwater is that they are excellent swimmers. While they are land mammals, polar bears can swim with their closed nostrils as they pounce on the seals. The bears can hold their breath for more than two minutes which is enough time to hunt and catch seals that are resting on icebergs. Scientists have recorded that some polar bears can hold their breath for more than three minutes, for example, in 2015, a polar bear was observed diving underwater for more than three minutes before emerging with the seal on the mouth.

11. A Polar Bear’s Skin is Black and not White as the Fur

While polar bears boast of their sparkling white hairy body, they do not have skin that matches the hair. Polar bears have black skin beneath the white skin. However, the hair of a polar bear is also translucent and it only seems to be white as snow because it reflects the sunlight. The skin is black to absorb heat whenever the sun shines in the region. The heat can be used during the night or whenever there is a lot of cold in the environment.

12. Below two percent of Polar Bears hunts are Successful because of their Big Size and Weight

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There is no unlucky mammal than a polar bear who spends half of his life hunting but only catches less than two percent of its prey. Their unsuccessful hunts are attributed to their big size and heavy weight compared to their prey, the seals. Seals are swift and can run faster than polar bears making them difficult to hunt down. However, the bears hunt bearded seas that seem to have less concentration. They also stalk and hunt seals that are resting on top of floating icebergs. Bears also scavenge on dead animals and small animals and birds for survival.

13. The Total Population of Polar Bears is about 26,000 

There are 26,000 polar bears in the world and the number is reducing every year due to the harsh climatic conditions. This population of polar bears is further subdivided into 19 groups. With different characters. However, among the 19 subdivisions, 1 specie is increasing in number, four are declining in number and five are neither increasing nor decreasing. The remaining nine species of polar bears are not yet assessed. However, the general population of polar bears is reducing yearly.

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14. Polar Bears have a Strong Sense of smell and they can Smell their Prey more than a kilometer Away

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These ice mammals have a very strong sense of smell that helps them smell their member of the family more than a kilometer away and follow them or avoid them. Their sense of smell is also ideal for hunting as they can smell the seals a kilometer away and begin stalking as they prepare to catch the meal. The strong sense of smell can help the bear to smell the seals below the icebergs and in water. Their sense of smell helps them detect different types of animals within the region and prepare for the unknown.

15. These Animals face Threats of Climate Change making their Population Decline

Initially, climatic change was the only threat that polar bears faced, and they survived by moving long distances to look for better food and shelter. However, the oil mining industry has turned its face to the arctic region where there are more oil ores than in any other place in the world. As a result, these industries have destroyed the polar bears’ natural habitats forcing them to relocate to other unfavorable places. The bears also die due to the chemicals used in the mining industries.

Polar bears are unique mammals that exist in the coldest places on the planet. These mammals have adapted to the cold environment where they hunt, eat and sleep. Polar bears have more massive body sizes than people can imagine as they can weigh more than ten adults. The bears are pure carnivores who are slightly above humans in the food chain and their main food are the seals.