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Polar Bears - Data, Pictures and Videos
Polar Bears - Data, Pictures and Videos
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Polar Bears - Data, Pictures and Videos
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  *This image is copyright of its original author The dog barks ferociously at the polar bear The determined mutt fiercely stood tall when the giant bear approached, forcing it to retreat and trudge into the distance.  *This image is copyright of its original author Although the polar bear seem unfazed, the dog but a brave show, barking and showing its teeth Keen photographer Alberto Panizza, 39, captured the incredible moment while visiting Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, earlier this month  *This image is copyright of its original author Sensing that the bear was up to no good, the dog warns the bear by barking loudly The snapper revealed the fiery pooch was approached by the bear and reacted in a startling frenzy as soon as it sensed danger.  *This image is copyright of its original author Although the dog was chained to a post, it still attempted to take on the huge bear The dog – chained up to stop it escaping – was owned by a local breeder who claims his dogs, used to pull sleds, are the strongest in the world. Alberto, from Parma, Italy, said: “The dogs live not far from a town where polar bears often pass through. “This one seemed to be curious and even though much bigger it was eager to make acquaintances with the dogs. “Even if they are trained to fight bears, the dogs usually seem afraid. “But either due to their survival instinct, or pure madness, they sometimes throw themselves at the wild giants like this one did.” source http://www.catersnews.com/stories/animals/grin-and-bear-it-brave-dog-takes-on-polar-bear-and-wins/ 
"Scientists have warned for years shrinking Arctic sea ice coverage will spell disaster for polar bears, but a recent population survey shows bears are thriving despite there being less polar ice.
Norwegian researchers released their latest survey of Barents Sea polar bears and they’ve got very good news for bear enthusiasts — their population grew 42 percent in eleven years. Barents Sea bear number have grown from 685 in 2004 to 975 this year despite Arctic ice coverage “diminishing in extent as well as in thickness,” according to researchers. “The bears were in good physical condition,” according to Norwegian scientist Jon Aars, as “ice conditions were good this last year, and so the availability of food has been good.” Aars noted in September the bears they counted were in “excellent” condition and “as fat as pigs.” Aars did, however, warn years with poor ice conditions could have a negative impact on polar bear population growth, but restrictions on hunting over the last 40 years have allowed the bears to flourish. Barents Sea polar bear estimates don’t include those in Russian-controlled territory, which could mean the region has way more bears than scientists admit. Russia’s government barred scientists from counting its polar bears. In 2004, Barents Sea’s polar population was 2,650 when Russian bears were included. “So again, despite the recent declines in summer sea ice that polar bear specialists, in their expert opinions, insist spell doom for polar bears, the bears are doing just fine,” wrote Susan Crockford, a veteran zoologist who blogs about polar bear science. For years, Crockford has used her blog to dispel myths about the demise of polar bears due to global warming. The fact of the matter is, globally, polar bear numbers are much greater than they were 40 years ago — largely thanks to restrictions on hunting. “The evidence is now very strong that recent declines in summer/fall sea ice have little to no negative impact on polar bear populations: the real threat to polar bears is thick spring ice,” Crockford said. Scientists have been worried global warming would shrink Arctic sea ice extent and make it harder for polar bears to hunt for food. Polar bear alarmism was even featured in former Vice President Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth.” Gore showed polar bears drowningbecause of a lack of sea ice to rest on while hunting. Such fears prompted the U.S. government to list the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — the first animal to be listed under the ESA due to global warming. While Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk considerably since the 1990s, polar bears have continued to thrive. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently estimated there were about 26,000 polar bears around the world, but there could be much more since IUCN did not count all polar bear subpopulations. Crockford actually argues shrinking sea ice extent is not the biggest problem facing polar bears. She says it’s thick polar ice in the springtime. “Polar bear deaths due to cyclical changes in Arctic sea ice thickness in the spring have continued despite rising CO2 emissions and declining summer sea ice extent… there is no reason to expect this will not continue,” Crockford wrote. “Thick spring ice near shore drives seals to give birth elsewhere because they cannot maintain their breathing holes in the ice,” Crockford wrote. 'This leaves mothers emerging from onshore dens with newborn cubs with nothing to eat at a time when they desperately need food: cubs die quickly, mothers more slowly.'" Taken from "As The Arctic Shrinks, Norway’s Polar Bear Population Booms — Grows 42% In 11 Years" Great news for the polar bears in Norway! Human conservation efforts seem to be improving the condition of Norwegian polar bears in a vast amount of generosity. But I can't say the same for other populations of polar bears (i'm very concerned about the populations around northern Russia with all the polluting of factory wastes going into the Arctic Ocean.)
Walking Hibernation Not a Factor for Polar Bears
"(Bozeman, MT - July 16, 2015) - Scientists have long speculated that polar bears forced ashore by melting ice may enter a state of “walking hibernation” that slows their metabolism and saves energy. But new research published in the journal Science does not support those earlier suggestions. Researchers found that polar bears do not possess a unique ability to withstand long fasts by triggering physiological changes similar to those seen in hibernating animals—a state dubbed “walking hibernation.” John Whiteman, a doctoral student at the University of Wyoming, led the logistically challenging and intensive study, working in cooperation with scientists at UW, USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Polar Bears International. The findings show that polar bears are physiologically incapable of entering a special energy-saving metabolic state. Scientists did find, however, that polar bears have a special adaptation to swimming in frigid waters; one that protects their interior body temperature and helps prevents hypothermia. They do this by temporarily cooling their outermost core tissues to form an insulating shell—a phenomenon known as regional heterothermy. “The findings come at a time when polar bears in some parts of the Arctic are spending more time on land, away from their seal prey, due to retreating summer sea ice,” said Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, chief scientist at Polar Bears International and a co-author of the paper. “This study shows that polar bears have no special trick that will allow them to prolong their ability to survive those long periods without food. Instead, they lose body condition just like any other food-deprived mammal.” Amstrup said these new understandings are important. “The take home message corroborates past findings,” he said. “There is a limit to how long polar bears can persist as sea ice continues to decline. They have no special metabolic ability to prolong that time frame, and if we want polar bears in our future, we need to stop sea ice decline.” He added that the work is unlikely to be repeated given the cost and logistical challenges. The National Science Foundation, USGS, USFWS, and the Environmental Protection Agency provided funding for the unprecedented effort, which entailed collaring two dozen polar bears in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska, fitting them with temperature loggers, and tracking and monitoring them on sea ice, in the water, and on land from 2008-2010." Original article link: Waking Hibernation Not a Factor for Polar Bears I've heard only of female polar bears in hibernation; its preparation for their future cubs, though. However, this phenomena is relatively recent (the only case of a male polar bear hibernating was from the 1960s, and I have the article in my Google Drive.) Such a shame that they can't sleep through their suffering, they instead have to live through with it annually. 
Polar bears have shown remarkable resilience in the face of a warming climate. Researchers have seen them grow more opportunistic in their hunting and eating habits, suggesting that the species may adapt to the limited availability of traditional prey by finding other sources of food. But sometimes that adaptability has troubling consequences.
A newly released video from National Geographic captures rarely seen polar bear cannibalism. The victim - a young cub - couldn't outrun the adult male that made a meal of it as its mother watched. This behavior has been studied (and even captured on video) before, and it probably happens more often than we'd like to think: Whenever seals become scarce or hard to hunt, as they do when ice disappears, male polar bears become desperate. "This type of intraspecific predation has always occurred to some extent," Jenny Ross, who co-authored a study on a similar event she witnessed, told the BBC in 2011. "However, there are increasing numbers of observations of it occurring, particularly on land where polar bears are trapped ashore, completely food-deprived for extended periods of time due to the loss of sea ice as a result of climate change." Researchers have witnessed several less troubling signs of this desperation in recent years, including record-breaking dives in search of scant food and the hunting of species of dolphin that polar bears had previously ignored. But as impressive as it is that the 26,000 or so polar bears left on the planet are being resourceful, it's unlikely that this cobbling together of food sources will support the population. "In the long term, the populations of these species of food for the polar bears are going to decline," Peter Ewins, leader of Arctic conservation for the World Wide Fund for Nature, told National Geographic in September. "So it's not going to be a persisting source of high fat for the polar bears." For now, there's no way of knowing for sure whether cannibalism is growing more common. We've certainly become more aware of it in recent years, but that might just be because of an increase in eco-tourism and research in the Arctic. But even if occasional cannibalism is a normal practice when food is scarce, the lean times caused by global warming are hardly going to help. http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/a-polar-b...me-1280558 
All photo and information credits: Kevin Schafer Photography
"The bears were bored. There's no other way to put it. The legendary polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba came ashore months earlier as the ice melted on Hudson Bay, and now, with nothing to eat, and precious little to do, they must wait for the cold, and for the ice to re-form. For a wildlife photographer, meanwhile, capturing an animal looking a little ridiculous is a time-honored tradition. Some creatures seem to lend themselves to this kind of thing, and few more so than polar bears. There is something about seeing a top predator strike an inelegant pose - in reality just a long, leisurely stretch - that is simply irresistible. I took this image a dozen years ago. At the time, autumn freeze-up on Hudson Bay was generally around November 1. Now, with temperatures rising, this has been happening as much six weeks later, reducing the time these bears have available to feed. This may be one of the most vulnerable populations of polar bears on Earth." June 2012 To learn more.  *This image is copyright of its original author
 (03-13-2016, 04:16 PM)Ngala Wrote: All photo and information credits: Kevin Schafer Photography Great signature quote Ngala 
Watch this incredible hunt of Polar Bear. Totally jaw dropping. This make me wonder if polar bears are land animal or marine animal ?
All photo and information credits: Kevin Schafer Photography
"When we approached this Polar Bear, he was resting on a clump of ice, a hundred miles or more from the nearest shore. It was August, and the ice had retreated far to the north - a sure sign of another hot summer. Bears must follow the ice wherever it goes; they eat seals that depend on that ice for resting and raising their young. If the ice disappears completely in the summer - now considered a real possibility - Polar Bears are done for. This bear was curious about us, and wandered over to have a closer look. Trying to catch, and interpret, our scent he stood up briefly on two legs, then rested back onto one paw. Even a top carnivore is not above striking a pose now and then..." April 2012  *This image is copyright of its original author
Photo and information credits: Marco Gaiotti Photography
"So big and so close..." Svalbard  *This image is copyright of its original author
Sad news.
U.S. stops trying to ban trade in polar bears  *This image is copyright of its original author A polar bear cub nuzzles its mother in Wapusk National Park on the shore of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Man. on Nov. 4, 2007. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)Bob Weber , The Canadian Press Published Monday, May 2, 2016 1:26PM EDT Last Updated Monday, May 2, 2016 1:45PM EDT  *This image is copyright of its original author 109
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author 109
Inuit hunters may have just brought down their biggest quarry ever. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to stop pushing for an international ban on the trade in polar bear parts -- an effort that has been strenuously opposed by Inuit and the Canadian government. The U.S. agency has been trying for years to have skins and other parts put in the same category as elephant ivory. It sponsored votes at the last two meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would have prevented Inuit hunters from selling hides or teeth even after eating the meat. Late last week, the service quietly dropped its campaign. "Though we remain concerned about the commercial use of polar bear hides as an additional threat to the species, we are not pursuing increased ... protections at this time," says a statement on the service's website. "We are putting our resources into working in collaboration with other polar bear range states to address climate change and mitigate its impacts on the polar bear as the overwhelming threat to the long-term future of the species." Related Stories The service abandoned the campaign even as it appeared to be winning. The European Union went from supporting Canada at the 2010 convention vote to abstaining in 2013. Major countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom opposed Canada's position. The U.S. motion was co-sponsored in 2013 by Russia, which argued that poachers from that country were using Canadian bear permits to launder their own illegal kills. The Americans were also supported by groups such as Humane Society International, the Natural Resources Defence Council and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. They all warned that allowing Canada to continue trading in the bears was contributing to more hunting at a time when their sea-ice habitat is shrinking because of climate change. Global concern was strong enough for an international review to have been conducted in 2014 into Canada's bear management. Canada -- along with Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, influential scientific bodies and other NGOs -- said the Canadian hunt is sustainable and that the real threat to the bears is from climate change. Hunting quotas for populations in particularly unstable habitats, such as those along Hudson Bay, have been significantly reduced. Environment Canada reports that about 300 Canadian polar bears enter the international marketplace every year. That figure has not changed much in recent years and represents about two per cent of the total Canadian population of about 16,000. http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/reg...ks-167316/ WASHINGTON—Inuit hunters may have just brought down their biggest quarry ever. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to stop pushing for an international ban on the trade in polar bear parts—an effort that has been strenuously opposed by Inuit and the Canadian government. The U.S. agency has been trying for years to have skins and other parts put in the same category as elephant ivory. It sponsored votes at the last two meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would have prevented Inuit hunters from selling hides or teeth even after eating the meat. Late last week, the service quietly dropped its campaign. “Though we remain concerned about the commercial use of polar bear hides as an additional threat to the species, we are not pursuing increased … protections at this time,” says a statement on the service’s website. “We are putting our resources into working in collaboration with other polar bear range states to address climate change and mitigate its impacts on the polar bear as the overwhelming threat to the long-term future of the species.” The decision was immediately welcomed by Natan Obed, head of the national Inuit group Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. “This is a very good thing for Inuit,” he said. “It’s great to see that other countries are taking a step back and respecting science on the issue rather than other interests that have more to do with people’s perception.” Obed said six different Inuit groups, in addition to territorial, provincial and federal governments, have been fighting restrictions on polar bear trade for nine years. “We knew that if the U.S. was successful … that our ability to have sport hunts, our ability to respectfully and sustainably harvest and benefit from polar bear harvesting would be diminished.” The U. S. service abandoned the campaign even as it appeared to be winning. The European Union went from supporting Canada at the 2010 convention vote to abstaining in 2013. Major countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom opposed Canada’s position. The U.S. motion was co-sponsored in 2013 by Russia, which argued that poachers from that country were using Canadian bear permits to launder their own illegal kills. The Americans were also supported by groups such as Humane Society International, the Natural Resources Defence Council and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. They all warned that allowing Canada to continue trading in the bears was contributing to more hunting at a time when their sea-ice habitat is shrinking because of climate change. Global concern was strong enough that an international review was conducted in 2014 into Canada’s bear management. Canada—along with Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, influential scientific bodies and other NGOs—said the Canadian hunt is sustainable and that the real threat to the bears is from climate change. Hunting quotas for populations in particularly unstable habitats, such as those along Hudson Bay, have been significantly reduced. Environment Canada reports that about 300 Canadian polar bears enter the international market every year. That figure has not changed much in recent years and represents about two per cent of the total Canadian population of about 16,000. and another http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/u-s-s...nal-talks/ The real question is this, Why can't you stop both climate change and the hunting of polar bears? Why does one need to take precedent over the other, it's not like the resources intercept each other, they go hand and hand. This is political bs and nothing more.
Photo and information credits: Kevin Schafer Photography
"We saw more than a dozen polar bears this week, some close by, some quite distant. But nothing we saw moved me more than watching this mother bear carrying her little cub on her back as she swam across a narrow channel. Yes, it was far away - this is cropped out of a much bigger picture - but it is a behavior I have neither seen, nor seen recorded with a camera ever before. It was a stunning sight, in an arctic world filled with wonders." Svalbard, Arctic Norway  *This image is copyright of its original author
A document from 2010 on polar bear size and weight reduction throughout the modern-day years (Rode et. al., 2010).
Photo and information credits: Cristina Mittermeier Photography
"A polar bear looks up from the seal hole he has been stalking to check me out. Ringed seals keep several breathing holes on the sea ice to avoid polar bears. It is a harsh environment for both species and the drama of life and death is never out of sight in the Arctic. The bigger danger for these animals, however, is the rising temperatures that are rapidly melting the sea ice. In the absence of ice, neither will survive. It is up to all of us, today and every day, to take the actions necessary to stop climate change to save polar bears, ringed seals—and ourselves." Franz Josef Land, Russia  *This image is copyright of its original author
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