The polar bear lives in the coastal areas of the polar circle. Its preferred habitat is the pack ice along the coast and on the islands of the Arctic region. In the summer, polar bears are mainly found in tundra-like areas. In contrast to most brown bears, the body of a polar bear is more elongated and the limbs are short and solid. The paws are webbed; they have wide, flat soles with fur between the pads and five large claws. This provides good traction on the slippery ice. The skin of a polar bear is black, and absorbs all the heat. The white, hollow guard hairs and the thick layer of blubber provide extra insulation. Basically, the polar bear is nothing more than a brown bear that adapted to life in the Arctic region during the Ice Age.

Diet
Unlike other bears the polar bear has teeth that are more like those of a predator. It is therefore no surprise that the polar bear’s staple diet is carnivorous. They give preference to seals. They will also feed on walrus, small whales, sea birds and fish. If necessary, the polar bear will also eat smaller prey like arctic hare and lemming. In the summer the polar bear feeds on willow leaves, berries, grass and moss. A hungry or irritated polar bear is known to attack humans.

Hibernation
Only a pregnant female goes into hibernation. She digs a maternity den, a narrow tunnel of approximately 2 to 3 meters with a chamber at the end. While the female hibernates, falling snow will close off the entrance and thus erase her tracks.

Social behaviour
Polar bears generally live solitary lives, except during mating season. They are also extremely good swimmers, they can dive down to a depth of a few meters and stay down for up to 80 seconds. The polar bear is equally agile on land and is remarkably quick. On top of that, the polar bear has an extremely good sense of smell. When it catches the scent of prey, even if it is a few kilometres away, the polar bear will run in a straight line at a speed of up to 65 km/h.

Status
The polar bear does not have any natural enemies; humans are their only enemy. According to the IUCN-status, the polar bear is ‘Vulnerable’. As a result of global warming, the population of polar bears is declining drastically and the future is not looking very bright. It is estimated that there are approximately 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears left worldwide. 

Factsheet Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)