Polar bears are amazing animals that live in the cold Arctic. They are the biggest type of bear and have special features that help them survive in such a chilly place. Let’s learn about what makes polar bears unique, what they eat, how they have babies, where they live, and why they need our help to stay safe.
Polar bears are really big! Adult male polar bears can be about 3.5 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder. When they stand up on their back legs, they can be over 10 feet (3 meters) tall! They are also long, measuring around 7.25 to 8 feet (2.2 to 2.5 meters). Males weigh between 775 to 1,200 pounds (351 to 544 kg), while females are smaller, weighing about 330 to 650 pounds (150 to 295 kg).
They have thick white fur, big heads, and padded legs. Their skin is actually black, which helps them soak up sunlight, and their fur keeps them warm. They also have a layer of fat under their skin that helps them float when swimming and stay warm.
Polar bears are meat-eaters and love to eat seals. Seals are their main food, and polar bears need to eat about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of fat each day to stay warm and full of energy. They also eat fish, eggs, reindeer, rodents, and birds if they can find them.
Polar bears are great hunters. They often wait by holes in the ice where seals come up for air. They have a strong sense of smell and can sniff out seals from over half a mile away! Unlike other bears, polar bears don’t hibernate in winter; they keep hunting all year round.
Polar bears usually have babies in the spring. The mother bear gives birth in November or December after being pregnant for about eight months. They often have twins, but sometimes they have one or three cubs. A newborn cub is tiny, weighing only about 1.3 pounds (0.5 kg), and needs its mom for warmth and milk, which is very rich in fat (about 36%).
By spring, the cubs start to leave their den and explore. They grow up and become adults at around two years old.
Polar bears live in the Arctic, in places like Canada, Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Norway. They need sea ice to hunt seals, which is why they are mostly found in icy areas.
Polar bears are considered vulnerable, which means they are at risk of becoming endangered. Their numbers are going down because their icy homes are melting due to climate change. There are only about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears left in the wild. They are protected by laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which helps keep them and their homes safe.
Polar bears are incredible creatures that are important to their environment. Learning about their lives and the problems they face is important for helping them survive and keeping their Arctic home safe.
Imagine you are a polar bear! Measure your height and compare it to the height of a polar bear standing on its back legs (over 10 feet or 3 meters). Use a measuring tape to mark the height on a wall. Discuss with your classmates how much taller a polar bear is compared to you and why their size is important for survival in the Arctic.
Participate in a relay race where you collect “food” items for a polar bear. Create cards with pictures of seals, fish, and other foods polar bears eat. Run to collect the cards and bring them back to your team. Discuss why seals are the main food source and how much fat ($4.4$ pounds or $2$ kg) a polar bear needs daily.
Create a diorama of a polar bear’s Arctic habitat using a shoebox and craft materials. Include features like sea ice, water, and polar bears. Explain to your classmates why sea ice is crucial for polar bears and how climate change affects their habitat.
Role-play a polar bear family with your classmates. Assign roles such as mother bear, cubs, and seals. Act out a day in the life of a polar bear family, focusing on hunting, caring for cubs, and exploring the Arctic. Discuss the challenges polar bears face in raising their young.
Create a poster to raise awareness about polar bear conservation. Include information about their vulnerable status, the impact of climate change, and laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Present your poster to the class and discuss ways we can help protect polar bears and their environment.
Polar Bears – Large white bears that live in the Arctic and are adapted to cold environments. – Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt for seals, their primary food source.
Arctic – The cold, icy region around the North Pole, home to unique wildlife and ecosystems. – The Arctic is experiencing significant changes due to climate change, affecting the animals that live there.
Seals – Marine mammals with flippers that are often prey for polar bears in the Arctic. – Seals use their streamlined bodies to swim quickly through the water, escaping predators.
Habitat – The natural environment where an organism lives and grows. – Protecting the polar bear’s habitat is crucial for their survival as the ice melts.
Conservation – The protection and preservation of natural resources and environments. – Conservation efforts aim to save endangered species like polar bears from extinction.
Climate Change – Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns, often caused by human activities. – Climate change is causing the Arctic ice to melt, threatening the survival of polar bears.
Reproduction – The biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. – Polar bears have a slow reproduction rate, with females giving birth to cubs every few years.
Diet – The types of food that an organism regularly eats. – The diet of polar bears mainly consists of seals, which provide them with necessary fats and nutrients.
Hunting – The act of pursuing and capturing animals for food. – Polar bears are skilled hunters, using their keen sense of smell to locate seals under the ice.
Cubs – Young bears, especially those of polar bears, that are dependent on their mothers for survival. – Polar bear cubs stay with their mothers for about two years, learning essential survival skills.
