The polar bear

📖 In short

The polar bear is a huge white bear that lives in the ice and snow around the North Pole, in Canada, Greenland, Russia and Alaska. It's one of the largest meat-eaters on land, and a superb swimmer.

🤩 Did you know?

An adult polar bear is between 2.5 and 3.5 meters long.
A newborn cub is about 25 centimeters long and weighs only about 0.7 kilograms.
In the wild, a polar bear can live up to 33 years.
Melting ice caused by the Earth warming up is a threat to the polar bear.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 A warm white coat

A polar bear's fur is very thick, and under it a thick layer of fat protects it from the bitter cold. And its skin under the fur is black, to soak up the sun's warmth!

🔍 The seal hunter

Polar bears mostly eat seals. A bear waits patiently by a hole in the ice until a seal comes up to breathe, then grabs it fast.

💡 A strong swimmer

A polar bear can swim very long distances in freezing water, using its big paws like paddles.

🎯 A home of snow

The mother digs a den in the snow and gives birth to her cubs there in winter, staying with them until spring. Then she brings them out and teaches them to hunt for about two years.