Polar+Bear+-+Jennifer+H

Polar bears live in the northern hemisphere. The circumpolar U.S. waters of arctic ocean off Alaska, north of arctic Islands Arctic South to the Hudson's bay. and off the coasts of Greenland, Norway, and Russia.

Polar bears eat Ringed seals and bearded seals. Primarily walruses, they usually only eat the skin and the blubber of the prey. they leave the meat for other predators.

The females are pregnant for 4 months and often double their body weight during gestation. Polar bears mate in April and May. The mother bear gives birth in December or January. A female will only produce 5 liters in their life time which is unusually slow reproductive rate. They usually have 2 cubs. the cubs are born blind and hairless. they are the size of a full grown squirrel. weighing only 2 lbs. They stay with the mother for 2 1/2 years.

The IUCN states the polar bear is vulnerable. The melting ice caps and sea levels rising causing global wormings is the biggest threat to them. Because of the temperatures rising the season of seal hunting for the polar bears has shortened. Which causing many bears to die from starvation. Although global worming is an enemy to the bears legal and illegal hunting is a threat. Trophy hunters kill over 500 polar bears in a year in Canada. Air, water pollution, by oil and gas drilling in the ice also threaten. If the polar bears fur is covered in oil from a spill there is no way of getting it out!!

male polar bears are 780-1500lbs.