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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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Photo and information credits: Jayanth Sharma
"I am back to #oslo today after a good #svalbard photo expedition which was my 9th in the last few years. We had 11 Polar Bear sightings with at least eight that were good for photography. We had tough weather conditions in the middle as we took shelter in a couple of fjords but we also managed to get back to the sea ice and that's where we found 3 different bears out of which the one you see here was the highlight. We also had a great time at a whale carcass with numerous bears visiting it over the days providing us opportunities of interaction as well. I am heading to Moscow from Oslo to continue my journey from Polar Bear country to the Brown Bear paradise of #Kamchatka. Will keep you posted!"  *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 Polar Bears are the largest predators that stalk the earth. Adult males average about 1.000 pounds (454 kg), females half that weight, although pregnant females with well developed fat reserves tip the scales at 1.100 pounds (500 kg). Large dominant males exceed 1.500 pounds (681 kg). A male tagged and released by researchers weighed almost 2.000 pounds (909 kg). One male stuffed and on display in the Anchorage air terminal, is reported to have weighed over 2.200 pounds (1000 kg) when killed but this figure is disputed by bear experts. This Bear stands just over eleven feet tall. Book White Bear Encounter with the Masters of the Artic Ice (Charles T. Feazel). Pictures taken from the Book Polar Bear (Guravich & Matthews) 
A great read and valuable information by Polar bear expert - Dr. Thea Bechshoft
Late one night a few summers ago, while sailing through the drift ice north of Svalbard, we came across a polar bear that was clearly deeply asleep. This prompted a lot of questions on polar bears and sleep from the guests onboard. I figured that perhaps you lot would be curious about this as well and so I thought I’d share a few words on the matter in today’s post. Most of what we know about polar bear sleep patterns is from the summer months as this is the time when people living in the high Arctic, researchers, and tourists are more likely to journey through the realm of the polar bears. Furthermore, Arctic summer is a time of 24 hour daylight, which also makes it significantly easier to actually spot the bears and observe their behavior during this particular time of year. So, generally speaking: Polar bears will usually choose a dry comfortable spot with good visibility, and often use either their front paw, a block of ice or a rock as a pillow. They will often dig shallow sleeping pits (sometimes known as day beds) if they are on soft ground such as gravel, snow or sand; these polar bear beds have been measured to be about 1.5 m in diameter and up to 0.5 m in depth. During the summer, polar bears spend up to a third of their time sleeping. Researchers who observed sleeping polar bears in the wild found that the bears would sleep for 7 to 8 hours in one go. They also found that the bears had a tendency to sleep more during the day than during the night. However, as I mentioned above, the summer days have 24 hours of sunlight which makes it hard to know whether the specific time of day really made a difference to the animals or whether it was mere coincidence. Besides these longer periods of sleep, polar bears also like to take shorter naps of an hour or two – this can be any time of the day but especially after a good meal (don’t know about you, but I can definitely relate :)). The picture below – taken by Sandra Petrowitz, a brilliant photographer and a colleague of mine - shows a polar bear sleeping in the shallow pit it has dug in the snow on the ice north of Svalbard. In addition, I stumbled across this video: - a wonderful example of a polar bear digging out exactly such a day bed, not on the sea ice, but on the tundra outside of Churchill, Canada. Enjoy!  *This image is copyright of its original author
Photo and information credits: Jayanth Sharma
"One of the highlights of this year's #svalbard expedition was the large whale carcass which attracted bears from far and wide. We spent a lovely 2 hours with three bears which were snacking on this carcass."  *This image is copyright of its original author
Photo and information credits: Vincent Munier - Photographer
"Ours qui grimpe dans l'île d'Edgeøya / Polar bear climbing up in Edgeøya island."  *This image is copyright of its original author
POLAR BEAR SHOT IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
The photograph is dated September 1, 1943. In that year, the Second World War was far from decided. As the effort of the Sovjets was of vital importance, it was decided to assist in any way possible. Allied convoys loaded with vital equipment sailed to ports in the northwestern part of the Sovjet-Union. On their way, they often faced gales, high seas, intense cold and severe opposition (U-boats, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine). Although protected by escorts, many merchants were sunk. Casualties often were severe. My guess is this U-boat was stationed somewhere in Norway. During a patrol in late summer, a polar bear was seen and shot. Then a photograph was taken. Many years later, a member of the Nitro-Express forum decided to post the photograph. When visiting the site some time ago, I found it. After a bit of deliberation (I don't want to offend anyone), I decided to post it. A strange photograph:  *This image is copyright of its original author
Credit to Natural History Museum of los Angeles @nhmla
 *This image is copyright of its original author @Polar Do you know some one part of the staff of Natural History Museum of los Angeles that can give you information about the size of that Polar Bear and its height? (10-28-2017, 12:20 AM)Polar Wrote: @peter, that bear looks a bit too small. If standing, it looks like it'll be a foot taller than the men around it. Looks like they hunted younger specimens as well. As to hunting polar bears during the war. The Battle of the North Atlantic was as fierce as it gets. My guess is Dönitz would not have approved of U-boat crews investing time in something distracting them from the war. At least, not while on sea. Surfacing was a dangerous undertaking. As to the size of the polar bear. As far as I know, the bear was on its own when it was shot. This means it was either adult or close to it. Its length (standing on its hindlegs, it would have dwarfed the men) also points towards an adult. Same for weight. Could have been a large female or, more likely, a young adult male. Meaby it was an adult male. Polar bears in that region are smaller than those in northeastern Russia and northwestern Canada. Also remember that the range in size is considerable in polar bears. (10-28-2017, 02:42 AM)epaiva Wrote: Credit to Natural History Museum of los Angeles @nhmla Haven't actually been to the NHMLA, but if I assume the woman is a little more taller than average US standards (her about 5'8", and average 5'4"), then I can safely say that the polar bear is about 7'6" feet tall maybe even slightly taller by a few inches.
Photo and information credits: Victoria Coombe Photography
Although this polar bear seemed to be casually strolling over the ice without paying us any attention if you look closely he's giving us a tiny sideways glance, making sure it knew where we were at all times! Fun polar bear fact, although they look white or yellow in colour, their skin is actually black. This allows them to absorb the heat of the sun in such cold climates. The fur of a polar bear is clear and hollow, it's the reflection and scattering of light into the clear hairs that give the fur a white/yellow appearance! #svalbard #naturalworldsafaris #bear #polarbear  *This image is copyright of its original author
Credits to the Churchill Polar Bears Blog:
 *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  *This image is copyright of its original author
Polar Bears Returning to the Ice
"This year’s Polar Bear Week brought good news for the Western Hudson Bay polar bears, with frigid temperatures and blizzard conditions setting the stage for the earliest freeze-up seen in recent years. “That’s a positive sign for this threatened population,” said Geoff York, senior director of conservation for Polar Bears International. “Being back on the ice will start them on a longer seal-hunting season and allow them to replenish their fat reserves.” “So far, there’s thin ice forming over shallow tidal flats near shore,” he added. “Many of the bears have departed the coast near Churchill for that newly frozen rim, which is much closer to Hudson Bay proper and their seal prey. We’re cautiously optimistic that the bay will freeze earlier than last year’s very delayed freeze-up, giving the bears the first good start they’ve had in quite a few years.” Sea ice loss over time But does this mean we no longer need to worry about the Western Hudson Bay polar bears? York said that it’s important to look at this year’s freeze-up within the context of natural variation and long-term trends. Last year at the same time, for example, the bears looked out to an ice-free bay and the tundra was only lightly dusted with snow. Freeze-up didn’t occur until late December, prolonging the fasting period for the population. While this year’s closer to average freeze-up is good news for the Western Hudson Bay bears, it’s part of natural, year-to-year variation, as the chart below shows. Across the Arctic this year, sea ice was at its fifth lowest since satellite tracking began and the long-term trend remains sharply downward for both sea ice extent and volume or thickness. Polar bear fasting limits The Western Hudson Bay polar bears live in a seasonal ice area, where the ice melts each summer and re-forms in the fall. Polar bears have adapted to these feast and famine cycles by storing up fat during times of plenty. They live off these reserves during food-deprived periods, but there are limits to how many days they can go without food. In the 1980s, the fasting period for the Western Hudson Bay polar bears was about 120 days. That period is now up to 177 days (2015) and is expected to increase beyond the 180-day threshold as the Arctic continues to warm. Past that mark we expect to see increased mortality for both young and old bears and dramatically lower reproductive rates. A 2010 study led by Dr. Peter Molnar showed that 3% of Western Hudson Bay’s adult male polar bears would die with a 120-day fast; if the ice-free period extends to 180 days, however, the mortality rates increase to 28%. “While we will always have up years and down years, the trend is very clear. There’s a limit to how long the bears can go without food,” York said, “and that’s why we monitor sea ice loss so closely and advocate for action on climate.” The long term research of Environment and Climate Change Canada clearly shows that the adult females in this region are coming ashore with lower body weights over time, reproductive success rates are falling, and the population has been steadily declining as that fasting window grows longer."  *This image is copyright of its original author
Hanover, Germany. 13th Jan, 2016. Seven-year-old polar bear Nanuq stretches himself out at a measuring stick, showing off his height of 2.99 meters at the adventure zoo in Hanover, Germany, 13 January 2016. 2,061 animals of 198 species live in the Hanover Zoo, according to this year's inventory. Photo: HOLGER HOLLEMANN/dpa/Alamy Live News
http://www.parkerlebnis.de/erlebnis-zoo-hannover-inventur-2016_18852.html http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-hanover-germany-13th-jan-2016-seven-year-old-polar-bear-nanuq-stretches-93155731.html  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
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