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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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Some food for thought: If belugas, narwhales, walruses, and bearded seals are classified as predators then the polar bear is the only bear recorded to hunt another predator larger than itself.
Old bull walruses sometimes turn carnivorous and feed on bearded seals as well as beluga and narwhale calves. Most of them hunt clams. Belugas and narwhales hunt fish and so do bearded seals. Given these sea mammals have skin thicker than land mammals and blubber to protect their vital organs, they are no easy prey for polar bears. Male polar bears from Svalbard are slightly heavier than bearded seals while bull walruses can be two or three times the weight of a male polar bear. There is at least one video of a polar bear killing a beluga in the open waters. Polar bear weights recap: https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-polar-b...#pid167676  *This image is copyright of its original author Female bearded seals can weigh up to 800 pounds that is similar to in weight to a male polar bear from Svalbard and heavier than female polar bears. However, if female polar bears can kill belugas five times their weight, killing a bearded seal is no problem for them. While bull walruses and even females are hard to kill even on land some polar bears have learned to throw rocks at them. Link below: https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-polar-b...#pid164672  *This image is copyright of its original author https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/animalsv...html#p1373 A male polar bear in poor condition still has healthy and powerful looking limbs. Imagine a healthy fellow. Quote:Some Foxe Basin males are known to successfully hunt walrus, which may explain in part their extraordinarily good condition. While it is doubtful if the killing of walrus is routine amongst males, many bears may feed off the carcasses taken by males that hunt successfully — including subadults, females with cubs and cubs on their own for the first time.https://polarbearscience.com/2014/02/12/...opulation/ Looks like the male polar bears which successfully hunt walruses are from Foxe Basin.
Polar Bear Breeding
There is a great deal about Polar Bear reproduction that remains a mystery. However, there is enough information that pieces of it can be identified and the rest assumed through educated guesses and materials. They are mainly solitary animals until it is time for the mating process to begin. The males will initiate things by courting females they are interested in. This will occur between April and May each year. The males will compete aggressively with each other for the right to mate with the females. There tends to be plenty of selection as the Polar Bears move towards certain hunting areas for food during those times of the year. Males tend to get one female in their mind to mate with and will fight all others that want to be with her. Some of these males have been known to go more than 100 miles to mate with a female that they have picked up the scent of. These fights among the males for the females can be extremely aggressive. They will fight for hours resulting in torn skin, broken teeth, and plenty of scars for all involved. Older male Polar Bears are often more skilled at fighting and stronger so they will earn the right to mate most of the time over the younger males. If you notice the physical characteristics of Polar Bears, you will see that the males have more fur on their legs than females. Researchers believe that this additional hair is very attractive to the females. It is also believed that it serves as a way for them to decide who they wish to mate with. It is compared to the mane of a lion which is also known to attract females to it for mating purposes.  *This image is copyright of its original author Polar bear with her cubs in the Canadian Arctic It isn’t uncommon for females to end up mating with more than one male though. DNA testing has proven that a litter of cubs can all be from the same father or from different ones. Generally the mating process with each male will last for a full week which helps to ensure that conception has occurred. In the last decade there has been proof that the Polar Bear occasionally will successfully mate with other the Brown Bear. This has been confirmed by physical characteristics of some offspring as well as DNA testing. It is believed this occurs on a very limited basis though. The females generally gain between 400 and 500 pounds during their pregnancy. She will build a den for her cubs to be born in with a series of chambers in it. Polar Bears give birth to their cubs on land. Once completed, she will hibernate in the den. Only the pregnant females will hibernate, the others are active all year long. What is interesting with Polar Bears is that their body temperature doesn’t drop like that of other bears while they are hibernating. Their heart rate does drop considerable though like that of other bears.  *This image is copyright of its original author Polar bear cub in captivity The offspring will be born any time from November to February. They only weigh about 2 pounds at birth and are completely dependent upon their mother for survival. Generally there will be two cubs born. The mother will live off her fat reserves as she remains in the den with the cubs and nurses them on milk that contains a great deal of fat. They will weight close to 35 pounds when they all emerge from the den. Polar Bear mothers are very affectionate and nurturing towards their offspring. They will continue to nurse them until they are about 2 ½ years of age. Approximately 60% of these cubs die before they are a year old though. This is due to environmental problems, wolves, and even aggressive male Polar Bears that see them as a threat. https://www.polarbear-world.com/polar-be...roduction/
If we see the height of this trainer, we know the captive polar bear is not that big (but he is big for a captive fellow):
Ursula Böttcher was named for the animal to whom she would devote her life: her given name “Ursula” derives from ursus, the Latin word for “bear.” Böttcher started her circus career as an usher and cleaning woman and became a star performer in the state circus of the German Democratic Republic (the former East Germany). She was a petite woman, standing five feet, one inch, and the sight of her commanding a troupe of large and lumbering polar bears was visually stunning. Audiences raved and newspapers covered her act. As Böttcher's fame grew, she and her bears were invited to perform throughout the world, a guest of top circuses in France, the United States, and many other countries. reference.jrank.org/biography/Bttcher_Ursula.html *This image is copyright of its original author
 *This image is copyright of its original author https://www.nathab.com/blog/black-grizzl...churchill/ The video where a polar bear scared off a black bear is probably in Churchill. Also in post 242. the male polar bears form West Hudson Bay is only 400kg (880 pounds) which is close to Churchill. I understand why Big Bons once said that male polar bears in Churchill can be as small as 600 pounds.  *This image is copyright of its original author Estimate of male polar bears' weight from Churchill:
Seems they can be as small as 775 pounds. A 1500 pounds is already large and is probably found in Foxe Basin.  *This image is copyright of its original author https://www.dl-online.com/sports/duluth-...y-friendly Polar bears have black skin.
Brown bears aren’t as carnivorous as previously thought, study finds.
Code: He found that polar bears in zoos typically die about 10 years earlier than they should, most often of kidney and liver disease. These two diseases can develop from long-term inflammation of those organs, potentially caused by many years of poorly balanced diets.
Incredible moment polar bears fight it out over prey but then decide to share bloody carcass instead.
THIS is the extraordinary moment three hungry polar bears ferociously fought each other for food – before eventually deciding to share a meal together. The huge bears were spotted battling for survival in Svalbard, Norway, before appearing to call a truce.  *This image is copyright of its original author The huge bears fought each other over the carcass, before deciding to peacefully share  *This image is copyright of its original author A Swedish photographer captured beautiful pictures of the blood-splattered animals The 39-year-old, who has been leading photo tours and workshops in the area for more than a decade but said she was humbled to see the incredible encounter so close up. “We found one bear that had captured a bearded seal and eaten most of it on the ice. There was blood everywhere and the bear was full, just laying beside the carcass,” she said.  *This image is copyright of its original author “Suddenly another bear approached us and the first bear just walked away. She took a swim, rolled around and just tried to digest the big meal. “The second bear, also a female, started feasting on the carcass, but after a few minutes she suddenly looked up and gazed towards the horizon. At this point, Harmansson said, she could see the silhouette of a third bear in the distance. “The third bear came quickly towards us. Running on the ice and swimming between the ice chunks.  *This image is copyright of its original author “When he got closer we could see that it was a large male, but he was very thin and you could see the ribs and spine through the thick fur. Clearly he was hungry. “He went straight towards the second bear that stood by the carcass and they started to roar at each other. “Suddenly the big male jumped at the female and slammed her into the ice. The second female wandered off and took a swim, before rolling in the snow and looking “really sad,” Harmansson said. But then her eyes suddenly “changed” and she started looking at the eating male with her head held high and a “determined look”. “She got up and started to walk back towards him. He looked quite surprised and once again the roared at each other. And then came the attack. “Twice they fought, but then the male realised she wasn’t giving up this time. “They both took the carcass and pulled it into two pieces. “When we left them they ate in peace beside each other. “It was a humbling feeling to witness this encounter up close. “I could actually feel their roaring almost physically. https://medianews48.com/incredible-moment-polar-bears-fight-it-out-over-prey-but-then-decide-to-share-bloody-carcass-instead/
Differential expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms type II in skeletal muscles of polar and black bears.
TLDR The results suggest that in bears, there is greater diversity in MHC isoforms II, being expressed in selected fast contracting skeletal muscles in response to variety of environments, weight bearing and locomotion. Abstract In this study, the pattern of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms expression in skeletal muscles of the trunk, forelimb and hindlimb in Polar Bear (PB) Ursus maritimus; American Black Bear (AmBB), Ursus americanus and Asian Black Bear (AsBB), Ursus thibetanus was analysed by immunohistochemistry and SDS‐PAGE. Results showed that slow (MHC‐I) and fast (MHC‐II) isoforms exist in muscles of bears. Type II fibres were classified further into Type IIa and IIx in PB but not in AsBB and AmBB. The distribution of Type I and Type II fibres in the trunk, forelimb and hindlimb varied based on muscle type and animal species. The proportions of Type I fibres formed approximately one‐third of muscle composition in PB (trunk, 32.0%; forelimb, 34.7%; hindlimb, 34.5%) and a half in both AsBB and AmBB whereas Type IIa and IIx formed approximately two‐third in PB (trunk, 68.0%; forelimb, 65.3%; hindlimb, 65.5%) and a half of Type II in both AmBB and AsBB. PB is a good swimmer, lives in Arctic Ocean on slippery ice catching aquatic mammals such as seals and is larger in size compared to the medium sized AmBB (living in forest) and AsBB (arboreal). The results suggest that in bears, there is greater diversity in MHC isoforms II, being expressed in selected fast contracting skeletal muscles in response to variety of environments, weight bearing and locomotion. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Differential-expression-of-myosin-heavy-chain-type-Kawata-Luziga/18c12a9e670d3b5393f4d7f096654e7d78732a71  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=5hS-vz ... AF6BAgDEAM  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=g8D8jE ... AF6BAgKEAM  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=T3zGDg ... AF6BAgCEAM  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=jwsIEA ... AXoECAYQAw  *This image is copyright of its original author https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/de/ak ... polar-bear  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=aouJPN ... AF6BAgFEAM "...wounding, scarring, and breakage of canine teeth are common; these are evidence of direct physical confrontations during the breeding season." https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... olar_bears  *This image is copyright of its original author https://books.google.it/books?id=NsI2EA ... AF6BAgHEAM
Polar Bear Anatomy | Internal Anatomy of a Polar Bear
OCTOBER 6, 2017 CHARACTERISTICS The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) doesn’t seem to have any special anatomical adaptations despite the fact that it is the only bear species that spends almost the entire life in water. The large body size of a bear prevents the heat loss—thereby making it warm even in frigid arctic weather. Polar Bear Anatomy
This is how long polar bears can be...
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This is how long polar bears can be underwater #shorts According to The American Society of Mammalogists the polar bear’s neck muscles are extremely strong and powerfully developed. This can be evident from the fact that ice bears can easily pull a 600-pound seal with their neck. Apart from neck muscles the hind limbs are also thought to develop perfectly not only to support the weight (when the bear stands on its hind feet only) but also for gripping on the sea ice.  *This image is copyright of its original author Polar Bear Reproductive System Male Polar Bears Main Article: Male Polar Bear The study of the American Society of Mammalogists showed that the wild specimen appear to have testes of varied sizes. Polar bear’s testes are of different sizes in different seasons. For instance in May the testes grow up to 39.4 +/- 3.5 cm² whereas in late October the size measured at 27.3 +/- 2.0 cm². The small glandular ampullae lie at the distal ends of vasa deferentia. Polar bears have small prostate gland. Female Polar Bears Main Article: Female Polar Bear  *This image is copyright of its original author A mother polar bear is nursing her cubs. Polar bear anatomy. Photo by Fine Art America.
How Many Nipples Do Polar Bears have? *This image is copyright of its original author The female polar bear possesses four teats or nipples all of which are functional. Four teats make up two pairs; the front pair (anterior) is only moderately posterior to the axillae and measures around 4 cm from the midline on both sides. The other two teats measure up to 15 cm further posterior. The front pair of nipples lies very close to the front legs (only just behind) whereas the second pair lies further to the back. Functional Mammae There are typically four functional mammae in other bear species but in female polar bear there can be four or five functional mammae. The one extra gland is situated at the posterior of the usual glands. The gland measures 4 cm from the middle on the back abdomen. One of the females found by the Society seems to possess two extra teats measuring 15 cm anterior to the vaginal orifice. These two extra nipples are found in inguinal region. Scientists found that none of the two nipples had milk; both were non-functional. The female also possesses os clitoris. Read More: Polar Bear Penis  *This image is copyright of its original author Polar Bear Anatomy. Photo by CBC.ca
Polar Bear Gastro-Intestinal System The gastrointestinal system of polar bears behaves quite differently in summer and winter. The system is directly associated with the feeding habits which is why it responds almost immediately to the polar bear’s type of food. When polar bears eat a lot of sea blubber (mostly they do) they appear to discharge dark jellylike faeces in a liquid form. This is mainly because the seal blubber is low in fibre. Studies further suggest that there is a significant change in the gut transit time. When an ice bear consumes seal muscle the timing is 13.8 +/- 5.4 hours and when she eats sea blubber the gut timing is 38.0 +/- 8.0 hours. Similarly if a bear feeds on fish the timing is 12.3 +/- 1.9 hours. Polar Bear Faeces Read More: Do Polar Bears Poop in the Woods? The polar bear faeces are more large rounded in shape and appear like a small cylinder. The color of the faeces is dark black or brown. The captive bear drops faeces after every 17 – 22 hours especially when it is fed with ringed seal carcass. However when a bear only eats blubber then the transit time increases and it reaches up to 36 hours. The fish-eating polar bear in captivity is likely to discharge faeces in 14 hours. Polar Bear Circulatory System (Heart Beat Rate) The average heart beat rate in adult polar bears is 60 to 90 bpm however in cubs the rate reaches high up to 130 beats per minute. The high bpm in cubs is mainly because of their activity level. When the bear relaxes the pulse rate is 45 – 60 bpm. Similarly when the polar bear is asleep the heart rate gets down to 30 – 40 bpm. The pulse rate of a polar bear during running reaches up to 150 beats per minute. However the typical pulse rate in an active bear is around 130 bpm. During winter if the bear starves the rate falls down to 27 bpm. Polar Bear Urinary System The polar bear’s kidneys appear to be lobulated in shape. Unlike kidneys of any other carnivore the ice bear kidneys seem to have as many as 65 lobules. This is the greatest number of lobules in any carnivorous mammal. Polar Bear Respiratory System Polar bears have a typical respiratory rate of 15 – 30 breaths per minute. However the breath rates go higher in warmer months. When the bear is asleep rates are only 5 breaths per minute. Polar bears are also seen panting and when they do the breath rates are as high as 105 – 133 every minute. Similarly when the bear charges for the prey in short bursts breaths are greater than usual. Blubber Fat or Obesity in Polar Bears The subcutaneous fat is the primary cause of obesity in polar bears. Adult bears have a dense layer of subcutaneous fat measuring 5 to 10 cm in thickness. Adult females in particular become obese weeks before they go into their materiality den. Females are thought to possess as much fat as containing 45% of the bear’s weight. Polar bears have 4-cm-thick blubber layer which is covered with 2-mm-thick muscle sheets. The thickness of polar bear’s torso is about 0.5 to 3.0 mm. The muscle sheets are likely to be based on the broadest muscle of the back latissimus dorsi. The supply of blood is sufficed to entertain the entire sheets of muscles. Numerous veins and arteries run from the body musculature via intramuscular blubber layer along the way to the latissimus sheets. The polar bear’s veins are 2 – 4 mm in diameter. The gap between the veins measures around 3 – 5 cm. The veins erupt from the dorsal edge of the bear’s muscle and enter the body core. *This image is copyright of its original author The polar bear’s limbs seem to have rich supply of blood with blood vessels go side by side—ranging from knees all the way to the ankle. The body or flesh at the top of the rear legs is known as rump. In polar bears there is a thick blubber pad that dominates the rump. The blubber pad measures about 11 mm in thickness. Polar Bear’s Adipose Tissue Studies further reveal that the adult polar bears’ (male and female) consist of 18.7 – 17.5% adipose fatty tissue. The content of fats is only slightly higher in captive bears as compared to the wild population. In fact the examination of few specimens reveals that the deposits of fats are almost the same in wild and captive bears. However the quantity of adipose tissue in captive polar bears is significantly greater than that of wild bears. Scientists also found that the number of adipocytes is greater than they expected. The greater number of fatty deposits clearly reflects on the polar bear’s diet in captivity. Since the wild bears must spend days or even months in fasting the deposit of fats is relatively low. While polar bears are fairly rich in Vitamin A the level of Vitamin D3 in the bear’s blubber is estimated as 406.17 +/- 139 (mean +/- SD). The level of Vitamin D3 is quite high in fact higher than most invertebrate-eating mammals. Nonetheless, it is lower than mammals which feed on vertebrates. *This image is copyright of its original author Polar Bear Anatomy – Video Polar Bear Anatomy | Internal Anatomy of a Polar Bear • Polar Bear Facts
b - The height of the polar bear
In my previous post, I said large male polar and brown bears can reach a height of 9 feet when standing on their hind legs. I added a photograph of Ursula Böttcher and polar bear 'Alaska' taken in 1984. You said the photograph is deceptive, because Ursula was 5.1 only. Also meaning 'Alaska' wasn't 9 feet. Finally meaning I was wrong. Let's assume Ursula, as you said, was 5.1. When she performed, however, she always wore boots. The heels (referring to the photograph I posted) could have been about 2 inches. Meaning she was about 5.3. Let's assume for now she was 160 cm. I had a closer look at the photograph you posted and used a ruler to get to a guesstimate. Ursula has a height of 90 units. Let's say 1 unit equals x. If Ursula, wearing her boots, was 160 cm, it means x (160:90) is 1,777. Polar bear 'Alaska' has a height of (just over) 153 units. This means he was (153 x 1,777) 271,88 cm on his hind legs, perhaps a bit more. One feet = 12 inches (30,48 cm) and nine feet = 108 inches (274,32 cm). Alaska was 271,88 cm (a bit over 8.11). The difference between 274,32 and 271,88 = 2,44 cm (almost 1 inch). Meaning I was just about right. Ursula, as you said, was a brave woman. All of those prepared to enter the ring with a full-grown predator have a lot of confidence. I interviewed quite a few trainers and read a number of books in which trainers feature. Most big cat trainers worked with bears before they started with cats. They agreed adult male polars bears can be very dangerous. If an adult male likes you, however, he is a true friend prepared to defend you no matter what. I posted a true story and heard of more stories I consider reliable. Brown bears, on the other hand, are different. Adult males in particular can be moody and unpredictable. https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-on-the-edge-of-extinction-a-the-tiger-panthera-tigris?pid=196336#pid196336 Hi @peter, sorry for quoting your post here as I am unable to post in Edge of extinction. Good insightful post and thanks for bringing out the name of the polar bear next to Ursula. Regarding the sentence which I underlined; it seems info in the source below will disagree with this:  *This image is copyright of its original author It seems the polar bear is the most unpredictable of all bears. If you can show me a counter source, I would happily read it. Thanks :).  (10-16-2023, 09:03 AM)GreenGrolar Wrote: b - The height of the polar bear If you're interested in trainers, try to find 'Die hohe Schule der Raubtierdressur' (Hans-Jürgen and Rosemarie Tiede, Germany, 1997, 448 pp). It's in German. In their very informative book, the Tiedes discuss no less than 58 trainers. Some of them worked with both bears and big cats. Hans-Jürgen, by the way, was a trainer himself. Those who worked with them agree polar bears, true carnivores and larger than brown and black bears, are dangerous. One of the trainers interviewed said they most probably killed more trainers than all others predators combined. Some adult males, however, were on very good terms with their trainer. Iwan Dimitri had the largest group ever (22 polar bears). He said male 'Kenny' (285 cm on his hindlegs and over 500 kg) was his best friend. He saved his life when Dimitri was attacked by an even larger male. Most trainers said large carnivores are not that different from humans. They like good relations, good food, routines and nice clothes, but also know about competition, preference and outright jaleousy. And when they feel threatened, they're as dangerous as anyone. Nice clothes? No doubt about that one. Read the chapter about Eugen and Barbara Poludniak. Seems to be quite typical in bears. Same for jaleousy. The Poludniaks knew all there is to know about bears, and polar bears in particular. They were very dangerous, but 'Royal', the boss of the group, liked Eugen. When he suffered from tooth problems, he threw him all over the place to show his anger. But he never hurt him. They were the best of friends. When reading the book, I noticed some trainers went from one mauling to another, whereas others never experienced any problems. A result of the animals or the trainer? After a polar bear had killed a trainer, a young man without much experience took over. Fredy Gafner was the ultimate stand-in and never experienced problems. He thought polar and brown bears are very similar. Both are playful when young, both like to embrace their opponent whenever possible and both become more moody when they get older. The polar bear is more dangerous, not only because of his size, but also because he's a true carnivore and much more sensible. Fredy took over the mixed bear act from Erich 'Klant' Hagenbeck, when Hagenbeck died in a hospital in the Netherlands at age 77 in January 1990. I wrote 'Klant' a letter in 1989. He responded (I still have the letter) and called me to get together. We set a date, but the 'Grim Reaper' was also interested. A great pity, as 'Klant' was a nice man loaded with knowledge about captive and wild big cats and bears. Wild? Yes. In his day, trainers at times bought wild animals. Most were quite young, but Klant said adults were bought as well. It took most of them quite a bit of time to settle in, but they were more reliable than big cats born and bred in captivity. That is to say, those who adapted to captivity. Some never did, but some of their captive relatives were no different. Most trainers I interviewed had a lion or, more often, a tiger not interested in work. The jaguar trainer I contacted cancelled the interview when I arrived, because he was exhausted. I saw why. The big black jaguar told him in no uncertain way a deal was out of the question. He was experienced (lions and tigers), but wasn't able to get along with jaguars. A species-related problem? I don't think so. Some trainers are not wanted and they're told before work starts. Most accept the verdict. Tony Hughes knew all about big cats, trainers and problems. When I met him, he was assisting a woman working with lions. She wasn't interested in an interview. Same reason as the jaguar trainer? Could be. The male lions didn't like her one bit and Tony was hired to prevent problems. Reputation. Some years earlier, he entered the cage when one of the Chipperfields was mauled by a lion. He no doubt saved his life and was noticed. The interview with Tony was one of the most interesting. He too didn't distinguish between species and gender. Tony distinguished between individuals. Characters. In his experience, just about anything was possible. The Tiedes, by the way, are very different from your average poster. Like Tony, they talk straight and don't distinguish between big and small, young and old and cat or bear. Every trainer is an individual. Same for the animals they work with. All trainers I interviewed confirmed there's no such thing as a species-related treat. At least, not in the departments of interaction and behaviour. Same for fights and the outcome of serious encounters. If anything, they thought smaller big cats were much underestimated. By the general public, not trainers. Trainers know male jaguars are very powerful and leopards are as dangerous as their larger relatives, if not more so. Cougars are different from jaguars and leopards, but trainers prefer the smaller subspecies. There's a reason, of course. You just never know in big cats and bears. (10-16-2023, 07:13 PM)peter Wrote:(10-16-2023, 09:03 AM)GreenGrolar Wrote: b - The height of the polar bear @peter . Thanks for the recommendation and enjoyed reading your post as usual. A captive polar bear weighing 500kg or more seems to be rare and large for polar bear specimens especially before the Animal Rights Act existed. Polar bears seem to lose muscle mass and fur in captivity according to info in the website below: http://www.bearconservation.org.uk/Japan...Report.pdf Which I doubt is a surprise as hunting of whales and dolphins still happen in Japan (young dolphins are captured and sold to trainers) but that is another story as this thread is on polar bears. Polar bears together with cetaceans do not seem to adapt well in captivity: The size of polar bears in captivity: Unlike the brown bear, polar bears in captivity are rarely overweight or particularly large, possibly as a reaction to the warm conditions of most zoos. https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/11801217 Captive polar bears. In an ideal world there would be no polar bears in zoos, for if ever there is an animal that doesn’t belong in a zoo it’s the polar bear. These Arctic giants have huge ranges in the wild, traveling many of hundreds of miles in their search for food. They have evolved over millennia to exist and thrive in the harsh environment of the Arctic. It is our belief, based on considered scientific evidence, that polar bears are a species that should never be bred in captivity, nor should they be actively sourced for captivity from the wild. However, even if this ideal state were to be achieved, there would still be problems and issues around what to do with cubs found orphaned in the wild and “problem bears” captured in populated areas. Sadly, most captive polar bears are kept in facilities, and often in climates, which are totally unsuitable. Only a very few facilities provide sufficient space for the bears to live anything approaching a contended and fulfilling life. So it is not surprising that many captive polar bears manifest symptoms of extreme stress, such as continually shaking their heads, pacing up and down their enclosures or swimming in a stereotypical fashion. Captive polar bears, along with orcas and other cetaceans, suffer from more sickness and psychologically related illness than any other animals kept in captivity. We are compiling a comprehensive directory of all the polar bears currently kept in captivity and of the facilities where they are kept. If you would like to help with this work then please get in touch. We have three main goals: An end to all captive polar bear breeding programmes. Many of the cubs born in captivity die within a few years, or even months, of birth. Breeding polar bears in captivity can never “save the bears” from extinction, nor repopulate the wild. No captive-born polar bear has ever been successfully released into the wild; indeed to do so would be contrary to IUCN regulations. The upgrading and improvement of substandard facilities holding captive polar bears to provide modern, state of the art “off exhibit” and “on exhibit” areas that meet the highest possible standards for housing, enrichment, general welfare and veterinary services. Air conditioning, water features and a total area of at least 8,000 square metres (2 acres) per animal are, we believe, the minimum essential for high welfare standards to be maintained. Where the above cannot be achieved facilities must be closed, with the polar bears transferred to modern, high standard facilities in sanctuaries or zoos. http://www.bearconservation.org.uk/polar-bears-in-zoos/ There are a few captive polar bears that weigh more than 1000 pounds in the info below (third paragraph):  *This image is copyright of its original author Now there seems to be even larger specimens in Russian zoos but no statistics have been measured so that might make it unconfirmed.  *This image is copyright of its original author Polar bear swimming with man shows that they can be friends and verifies your post. It still takes courage to swim with one. According to the book Grizzly Years, grizzly bears seem to have the personality of the seven dwarfs. That probably applies to polar bears. |
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