Polar bears are the largest carnivores on land, living in the area around the Arctic Ocean, including the Arctic, Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Russia and Norway.
Adult male polar bears can weigh from 350 to 540 kg, in some cases more than 800 kg, although quite rare. Adult females are regarding half the size of males, weighing from 200 to 300 kg and standing 1.9 to 2.1 m tall, while males are from 2.4 to 2.6 m tall when standing on two legs. .
The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 1002kg and stood up to 3.39m tall when standing on two hind legs.
The main food of polar bears is seals. When food is scarce, polar bears hunt dolphins, sea elephants, rodents, and even eat immature polar bears.
Polar bears are very good hunters, able to swim to the sea many kilometers away from land to hunt. Polar bears are also capable and approach prey very well when hunting on land.
To be able to adapt to one of the world’s harshest environments, polar bears have thick fur and a layer of fat to keep them warm and protect them from the cold. This animal has dark skin, which helps them absorb the sun’s rays and stay warm. In particular, the polar bear’s fur is not as white as people see it, in fact their fur is transparent and the white color commonly seen in this bear is the result of white light reflection from the sun.
Global warming is affecting the habitat and hunting ability of polar bears. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is placing polar bears on the list of endangered animals due to habitat loss and reduced numbers of individuals.
Theo NG/NDTV
