Polar bear
Ursus maritimus
The great white bear of the Arctic. It spends most of its life out on the sea ice, hunting seals.
Circumpolar Arctic sea ice. Find it on our world map
Did you know?
Under its thick white fur, a polar bear has black skin.1
Polar bears are strong swimmers. They paddle with their big front paws.2
A polar bear may wait beside a seal’s breathing hole in the ice for hours, even days.2
A newborn cub is only about the size of a guinea pig.2
Mothers usually have twins, and the cubs stay with her for more than two years.2
Who is helping
Polar bears need sea ice to hunt, and a warming climate is melting it earlier each year. Scientists and Arctic communities are working to understand and protect them.
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Credits
Photo: Barry Stewart, via iNaturalist. Photo: steve b (stevestevens), via iNaturalist. Range drawn by hand from published range maps.