The Arctic The Most Dangerous Polar Bears in the World
The Arctic is a polar region located in the northernmost part of planet Earth. It consists
of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland,
Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover,
with predominantly treeless permafrost containing tundra. But in spite of these harsh conditions,
quite a number of creatures, which have adequately adapted, can be found in the artic.
These include marine mammals like seals and, of course, the polar bear.
The polar bear is a hypercarnivorous creature that lives within the arctic circle.
They are the largest bear species as well as the largest land carnivore in the world. Polar bears
are one of the most formidable animal species in the world. They stand alone at the top of the food
chain. Although they typically eat seals, they can content themselves with marine birds, fish,
and even humans. SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Polar bears are the largest land carnivores in the world. These creatures tend to average
weights of 770 pounds to 1500 pounds. That's one and a half times as heavy
as a grand piano. Females are half the size of males. However, females tend to gain a lot of
weight when they are pregnant. When baby polar bears are born, they weigh about 400 pounds.
LOCATION: The polar bear s range lies largely within
the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas, and surrounding landmasses.
Even though it is formally categorized as a marine mammal, it is the only living member of this group
with powerful, large limbs and feet that allow them to cover miles on foot and run on land. In
addition to the arctic circle, they can sometimes be found in countries such as Newfoundland,
Greenland, Russia, Alaska, and Denmark. POPULATION:
There are 19 discrete subpopulations of polar bears on Earth. As of 2017,
one of these subpopulations is in decline, two are increasing, seven are stable,
and nine have insufficient data. Putting a number to these estimates, between 22,000
and 31,000 polar bears exist on Earth today. Polar Bears need to stay near water to survive,
but sometimes they go inland for miles and miles About one thousand polar bears are hunted and
killed worldwide every year. They are mostly hunted for sport, although sometimes polar bear
hunting is done for safety. DIETING:
Polar bears are hypercarnivores and eat mostly ringed and bearded seals.
They can also eat arctic foxes and fish too. Polar bears can eat between 10 to 20 percent
of their body weight at a time. Since these creatures tend to average weights of 770 pounds
to 1500 pounds, they need at least 4.4 pounds of fat to survive every day. A
ringed seal weighing 121 pounds could provide up to eight days of energy for a polar bear.
Polar bears tend to migrate large distances in search of food. As the seasons change
and the ice melts, they will migrate within their individual "home range."
This will often range between 50,000 square miles to 135,000 square miles. That's about half the
area of the state of Texas. They typically do this because their main source of food, seals,
migrate first in response to weather changes. Bears then migrate in pursuit of them.
LIFE CYCLE: Polar bears rarely live
beyond 25 years. The oldest wild and captive polar bears on record died at 32 years and 43 years,
respectively. They typically die when they become too old and sluggish to hunt. Since they
are mammals, they take care of their young. Pregnant females eat large amounts of food,
gaining at least 440 pounds and often more than doubling their body weight.
Other species of bears, such as brown bears and grizzly bears,
are infamous for hibernating. During hibernation, these animals enter periods of deep sleep
so as to survive adverse environmental conditions such as cold or the lack of prey. Polar bears do
not have the ability to hibernate, unlike their counterparts. Only pregnant polar bears have the
ability to do so. Pregnant polar bears must hibernate in order to ensure that gestation
goes according to plan. However, other polar bears just have to hunt through the cold.
WHY ARE THEY DANGEROUS: Polar bears are extremely formidable
predators. They make use of their sharp teeth and sharp claws to get the job done. Their claws can
grow as long as 4 inches. They have powerful jaws which can generate a bite force of 1200 PSI. Their
bites are well adapted for dealing with prey with thick hides or heavy feathers. They are said to be
the only mammal that actively hunts humans. They have a total of 42 teeth in their gaping mouths.
Polar bears can swim at average speeds of 6 miles per hour. They also run at speeds of 25 miles per
hour. In both instances, they can outpace humans. Also, since they hunt in cold environments,
they don t have to worry about overheating while chasing prey.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The polar bear has
many special adaptations. For one, they are marine mammals and can survive both in water and
on land. Since they do a fair amount of hunting underwater, they are great divers. They can dive
up to 15 feet beneath the surface of the water. This is facilitated by their ability
to hold their breath for up to 2 minutes while underwater. Although these creatures have no
natural predators in terrestrial environments, the story changes when they persist underwater.
There are many creatures underwater which may well kill them if they stay too long.
In addition to this, their sense of smell is fantastic. They can detect prey up to
1 mile away. They can also detect prey buried up to beneath snow. They use this skill to
detect seals who resurface to breathe through holes in the ground. When these seals come up,
they just may find a pair of gaping jaws waiting for them. Their hearing is as good as a humans',
and they can see long distances pretty well. ATTACKS AND ENCOUNTERS:
#3 Hunting Party being attacked On 29th August 2018, a hunting party consisting
of three individuals went on a trip to Northern Canada in search of Narwhals and Reindeer.
However, before they found their prey, they quickly turned from predators to prey. A mother
bear and her cup found their party and started to attack them. Since the hunting party had guns,
they managed to gun down the mother bear and the cub too. But before they could,
the two polar bears managed to maul one of them to death. The victim was 33-year-old Darryl Kaunak.
The hunters were trapped in the hunting location since their boat was damaged.
They survived the cold by huddling together with the corpse of the dead hunter. Eventually,
a rescue party found them and rescued them before more polar bears could attack them.
... #2 Nunavut Attack
On August 11, 2021, three individuals were attacked by a polar bear in Nunavut, Canada. The
attack happened in a town known as Sanirajak with a population of 800 people. The three victims had
been hanging out in their cabin when the polar bear wandered out of the sea in search of food
and found them. Although the polar bear managed to damage all three of them heavily,
it was eventually killed. The victims were then airlifted to a hospital where their wounds were
treated without any complications. #1 Aaron Gibbons
On July 4, 2018, a man known as Aaron Gibbons was killed by a polar bear while protecting
his three children. He was 31 years old at the time. This incident also happened in Nunavut,
a hotspot for polar bear attacks. The encounter happened on Sentry Island, a popular fishing and
hunting spot. Gibbons was with his three children when the polar bear showed up
and targeted them. Although he had no weapons, he stood his ground, preventing the bear from
getting to his children. It eventually gave up and went for him instead. Although he lost his life,
he stalled enough for another adult to show up and shoot the bear dead. He died a hero.
What do you like best about polar bears?