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Watch Hasani grow up - visit the Zoo often! |
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 | Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus 
Fascinating Facts - The polar bear’s name is misleading, because there are no polar bears at either pole. Polar bears do roam the ice floes of the Arctic Ocean, and are occasionally found on land in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. No polar bears live in Antarctica, so you will never see polar bears swimming alongside penguins (which live only in the southern hemisphere).
- Polar bears have partially webbed front feet and are excellent swimmers. They can swim up to 40 miles across the open sea without resting, at an amazing speed of four miles per hour. The triangular shape of the polar bear is ideal for cutting through the water.
Physical Characteristics Compared to other bears, the polar bear has a slender body covered with thick fur, and a small head set on a long neck. Males weigh between 770–1,430 lbs. and females about half that. The polar bear’s light color — ranging from a creamy off-white to light yellow — helps this large predator blend in with snowy backgrounds. Though the polar bear looks white, its skin is actually black. Its fur consists of clear hollow hairs. Sunlight reflected off the clear hair gives a white appearance.
Polar bears have large oar-like front feet with swimming membrane up to half the length of the toes. The soles of the feet have hair to provide insulation for walking on ice. A layer of fat beneath the skin protects them from frigid waters.
Life span in the wild is 25-30 years; in captivity, up to 41 years. Habitat/Diet Polar bears are found in arctic coastal areas, on ice many miles from shore and occasionally inland. The geographic range include the arctic regions around the North Pole. The southern limits of habitat are determined by ice pack.
The favorite food of polar bears is seals. The bears swim underwater to the edges of ice floes, leaping out to catch seals sunning themselves. Polar bears can leap seven to eight feet out of the water from a swimming start. The bears will also inch across the ice incredibly slowly to sneak up on seals before they can slide into the water. Polar bears are the most carnivorous of all bears. Besides seals, they eat small mammals, caribou, fish and carrion, and in the summer, they eat berries and vegetation. At the Zoo, the polar bears are fed meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Social Behavior Polar bears are solitary but come together for mating in the spring. The young, usually two cubs, are not born until the mother is in her den the following winter, where the snug environment of the den provides the warmth necessary to prevent death. The young are blind and so small at birth – weighing less than two pounds – that they cannot regulate their own body temperature. By the time the cubs are two to three months old, they are about 20-30 lbs. in weight and are ready to leave the den. Status In The Wild Due to habitat loss from global warming, the polar bear was recently listed as Endangered. Polar bears are protected by the Marine Mammal Act, and are managed by five countries (Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States) to control nuisance bears, to provide food, clothing, income and cultural experiences for native peoples, and to prevent extinction. Other In 1982, Zoo Registered Veterinary Technician Gail Hedberg became the surrogate mother for Pike (pronounced PEE-KA), a female polar bear cub born at the Zoo, whom she cared for from 12 hours old until six months of age. The Zoo decided to hand-rear Pike because some cubs born to her mother Marsha had not survived in her care. Hedberg, a neonatal care specialist who has raised tiger and lion cubs, pioneered new techniques and protocol for caring for polar bear cubs. You can see Pike and our other polar bear, Ulu, in the bear exhibits at the Zoo. |
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