Cute Polar Bear Pics: Celebrating International Polar Bear Day With a Fluffy Polar Bear Roundup
This week on February 27th is International Polar Bear Day! This is a day to celebrate these majestic, fluffy creatures and also to raise awareness about the dangers to their species. Polar bears live in the Arctic Circle and its surrounding seas, and water and sea ice are a large part of their habitat. in fact, their scientific name translates to water bear or maritime bear! However, sadly, because of climate change there is less and less sea ice, which makes it harder for polar bears to find proper habitat and to hunt properly. Many conservationists are working to save these bears.
So to do our part, we've brought you some of the prettiest and cutest polar bears to look at! However, take heed! These big bois look cute, but many who live near them in the Arctic Circle report that they can be aggressive and dangerous. Do not ever approach a polar bear--they are the largest land predator, ferocious, and they will take you down! But that doesn't mean we can't be fascinated and enthralled by how nice they are to look at and learn about from a safe distance. Scroll down for the prettiest and cutest water bears the internet has to offer!
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The oldest bear
This beautiful polar bear is Katjuscha, who turned 37 last year at the Berlin Zoo in Germany. Tragically, she passed away not long after her birthday after living for a long time with a heart condition. The Zoo bid her farewell and celebrated her long life--17 years longer than the average polar bear in the wild!
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Tallest Bear
Polar bears are by far the tallest bear species. In fact, they are the largest of any land carnivore! Though they are a sister species to the brown bear, they're much larger, much fiercer, and have evolved characteristics that makes them great at enduring cold, traveling over ice, snow, and freezing water, and hunting seals!
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Fluffy family
This family is is absolutely stunning…but u970souk, who posted the image, reminded us that climate change will make it harder for these cubs to meet their top healthy weight:
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on Arctic Sea ice for hunting, mating, travelling to denning sites and resting. Global heating means ice is forming later in winter and breaking up earlier in spring, which affects both the bears and their prey, and threatens cubs' survival. In parts of the Arctic, the bears are having to last longer periods without food leading to them losing weight.
Photo by Debra Garside.
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Li'l guy
This photo was taken at the Wapusk National Park, in Manitoba, Canada. Also in Manitoba at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, scientists are coming together to study wild polar bears and how they're effected by climate change. They are able to do that by using thermal imaging to find out how much energy the bears are using and something called "glitter poo". We know that the loss of sea ice has a big effect, and the researchers want to know if there's a "tipping point" to be wary of. Read more: Global News
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5
Polar and grizzly cubs become friends
At the Detroit Zoo, two orphaned cubs of different species became best friends. The cubs, Jebbie and Laerke, spend every day together swimming and playing with toys. Jebbie the grizzly lives in the Arctic Ring of Life exhibit at the zoo with the polar bears.
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Swimmers
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Li'l yawn
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Boopable nose
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Romance whiteout
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He lives here now
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Lazy day
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Peaceful cubs
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Polar bear vs. raptor
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