30+ Interesting Facts About Polar Bears

1. The polar bear is a large carnivore mammal in the bear family. It is present only in the Arctic region.
2. The polar bear is the largest carnivore on land. The males can weigh between 400-600 kg and reach a length of 2.4-2.6 m. The Kodiak bear (a subspecies of brown bear in Alaska) is the second-largest terrestrial carnivore. (Source)
3. Male polar bears can be twice heavier as females. It is one of the most prominent sexual dimorphism among mammals.
4. Polar bears are the only marine mammals among bears as they depend on the ocean for food. They are well adapted for swimming and terrestrial locomotion and can tolerate the chilly weather of the Arctic.
5. Polar bears are vulnerable due to their habitat loss. Global warming is shrinking the Arctic sea ice, which can reduce food and mating opportunities for these marine mammals. According to estimates, the population of polar bears can decline by nearly 33% by 2050.
6. Polar and brown bears separated from each other 500,000 years ago. The first hybrid between these two cousins was discovered in Canada in 2006. Since then, researchers have observed several such mixed breeds in Siberia and North America. This trend can increase in the coming years due to the melting of ice because of climate change. (Source)
7. The oldest polar bear fossil belongs to a male lived around 120,000 years ago. Scientists discovered a lower jawbone of an ancient carnivore in 2004 in Svalbard (Norway). Later experiments prove that it belongs to a polar bear. (Source)
8. Polar bears have smaller paw pads than other bears, but their papillae are up to 1.5 times taller than other species. This feature increases by 50% more traction and reduces slipping while walking on ice. (Source) 

   

   Taller papillae in polar bears' paws reduces slipping on ice

   
   
9. According to estimates, the population of polar bears around the globe is between 22,000 and 25,000. These bears live in five countries in the Arctic: Canada, the USA, Russia, Greenland (Denmark), and Norway. These five countries reached an agreement in 1973, inhibiting the hunting and capturing of polar bears without specific exceptions.
10. Canada has the highest number of polar bears in the world. Nearly 60% of the worldwide polar bear population lives or spends most of their time in Canada. Churchill, a town in Manitoba (Canada), is known as the “polar bear capital of the world” as it hosts hundreds of polar bears.
11. Polar bears are not native to Iceland but can reach this island from Greenland by drifting on ice. Only a few hundred of these bears have reached Iceland in recorded history. Most of them have been shot dead, according to the national policy of Iceland. (Source)
12. There are 19 known polar bear subpopulations in their habitats. However, scientists discovered a possible 20^th subpopulation in southeastern Greenland in 2022. Unlike other subpopulations that need long sea ice seasons, these few hundred polar bears can survive less than four months of annual sea ice. (Source)
13. The primary diet of polar bears includes ringed seals, bearded seals, and other seals. These mammals may also eat living or dead walruses, beluga whales, and narwhals. When food is scarce, polar bears can eat terrestrial mammals, birds, eggs, fish, plants, and garbage.
14. Polar bears prefer the fat and skin of seals and usually leave the meat for other animals, including young bears. The fat is easily digestible and provides more calories and liquid.
15. Polar bears swim in water or roll on ice to keep themselves clean. It assists in the insulation of their fur.
16. The bite force of polar bears is more than 1,200 psi (pounds per square inch), the strongest among bears and one of the strongest in the animal kingdom.
17. The sharp sense of smell is helpful for polar bears hunting. They can smell seals up to 20 miles (32 km) away and more than half a mile deep in their breathing hole inside the sea ice.
18. Polar bears are excellent swimmers and can swim continuously for hours. They are the only four-legged mammals that exclusively use their front limbs for swimming.
19. Polar bears are fast runners on land and can reach a speed of 40 km/h. However, they sprint for a short duration and can become overheated during continuous running. (Source)
20. Polar bears killed 20 humans and injured 63 others in 73 attacks worldwide from 1870 to 2014. The latest human fatality occurred in January 2023. (Source)
21. Male adult polar bears are usually solitary and only establish partnerships during the mating season. They remain with a female for a week and then try to find another mate.
22. Polar bears usually live less than 20 years in the wild and rarely past 30 years. However, they can live for more than 40 years in captivity. (Source)
23. Adult polar bears have no natural predators. However, walruses and wolves can sometimes kill these bears.
24. Females dig dens in the snow before giving birth. There are usually one to three cubs in a litter. 

    

    There are average two polar bear cubs in a litter

    
    
25. Native people of the Arctic use almost all parts of polar bears. They consume its meat and make clothes and blankets from its fur.
26. The liver of a well-fed polar bear contains the highest amount of Vitamin A in natural sources. Therefore, it becomes toxic, and eating the liver of a single polar bear can kill 52 adults. A single liver is enough to accomplish the Vitamin A requirements of a person for 143 years. (Source)
27. Polar bears have black skin covered by transparent fur. The fur allows the sunlight to reach and warm the skin and makes them look white. The skin of polar bears sometimes looks green in zoos due to the growth of algae in their hair. (Source)
28. Polar bears have one of the lowest hunting success rates among mammals. Most of their hunting attempts fail, and they catch less than 10% of their potential prey.
29. In 2014, scientists isolated the DNA of a polar bear through its footprints on snow in the Arctic. Collecting “footprint DNA” is a cheap and time-saving method compared to getting DNA from feces or hairs. (Source)
30. Male and non-pregnant polar bears usually fast during the summer and fall for 120 days. However, the fasting period for some pregnant females is around 240 days, the longest among mammals.
31. A polar bear may ask for food from another bear by touching its nose with its own. These mammals usually show generosity in reply.
32. Play fighting is common among polar bear cubs. Adult males may also fight playfully or sometimes aggressively during the mating season.
33. Polar bears sleep inside shallow pits in the snow. The snow covers their bodies, which provides warmth and protects them from the wind.