10 interesting facts about polar bears

1. Polar bear has webs on its paws, thanks to which he can move quickly in the water. This excellent swimmer can easily overcome a distance of several hundred kilometers. A case was recorded when a bear covered 687 km in 9 days until it reached a solid ice surface. And the polar bear swam 600 km from the shores of Alaska without stopping in search of food.
2. The fur hairs of polar bears are actually transparent. They appear white because they reflect light. The yellow shade of the fur indicates the solid age of the animal, which can no longer follow hygiene carefully enough. The appearance of the green color of the bear’s wool is due to algae that grow on the fur in warm conditions.
3. Polar bear skin always has a black color. Thanks to this phenomenon, animals retain enough heat to live calmly in permafrost conditions. The body temperature of these creatures does not fall below +31°C even during their stay in icy water. Bears sometimes have to avoid intense physical activity in order not to overheat.
4. During the hunt, polar bears show their intellectual abilities, covering his nose with his paws. This gives them the opportunity to completely blend in with the white surface of the snow and remain unnoticed.
5. In 1960, a polar bear was shot in Alaska, the weight of which was 1002 kilograms. He is still considered the heaviest male that people have ever met. On average, the weight of a polar predator is 700-800 kg with a height of 3 m. Females weigh approximately 300 kg, so they differ greatly in size from males.
6. Many northern peoples have a polar bear the main figure in fairy tales and legends. There are even stories about family relationships between people and these animals, the result of which was the appearance of common offspring. Eskimos also believe in the transformation of a person and a bear into each other as a result of reincarnation.
7. In the Zoroastrian calendar, the polar bear is noted as a quality sacred animal. It symbolizes physical strength, courage and endurance. But in religious sources, this animal was identified with bodily sins of man.
8. Evidence high intellectual development of polar bears is their ability to orient without error in completely white spaces during the day, at night, in blizzards and storms. An impeccable sixth sense leads these predators to seal dens and allows them to assess the circumstances and strength of the opponent with exceptional accuracy.
9. The lifespan of polar bears in the wild it is from 15 to 18 years. But if the animal falls into captivity, where favorable conditions are created for it, it can live up to 30 years. Polar predators do not hibernate and remain active throughout the year. The exception is pregnant females, which lie in the den for 1.5-2 months.
10. Bears that live in the southern parts of the Arctic, raise their offspring for two years, while mothers from the north continue to do so for up to three years. Newborn bear cubs weigh from 400 to 750 grams and cannot exist for a long time without their mother.

It was interesting❓ Share with your friends! 👇