Are You Polar Bear Aware?
Global warming, oil exploration, big game hunters, these all negatively affect the polar bear population. The purpose of this lens is to raise money to help save Polar Bears from extinction while helping more people become Polar Bear Aware.
You'll find information ranging from Polar Bear ART to ZOOs and everything in-between. There will be bear facts and photos; cartoons & jokes; contests & factoids; links to wildlife, endangered species and environmental organizations; lists of great books; links to great videos and live polar bear cams and links sites about cute KNUT, Hudson, Flocke and Wilhelma.
In one section, my good friend David Booth from Cabin Fever Art, has a weekly Polar Bear Cartoon that changes every Monday. Check back often as I'm constantly adding new stuff.
The royalties from this lens are donated 50% to National Wildlife Federation and 50% to Polar Bears International.
Now, off you go. Relax and enjoy the journey but do take it all in. There will be a test -- I kid you not -- about half way through you'll find my "Polar Bear Aware-ness Test". Take it if you dare and find out just how Polar Bear Aware you are!
Scientific Classification
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. maritimus
Binomial name
Ursus maritimus
Phipps
From Wikipedia
Courtesy of Polar Bears International. Click the picture to go to their site.
UnBEARably Cute Pictures of Polar Bears
Polar Bears In All Their Majestic Glory
Here we'll gather Flickr pictures of polar bears showcasing their many moods -- mad, bad, silly, sleepy, maternal, or majestic. Add your favorite pictures so we can all enjoy these beautiful beasts! Then, don't forget to vote by clicking the little buttons under your favorite shots. Then, refresh your screen and the picures will reorder by total points.
Thanks to the following Photographers so far:
thelearnr, lemperleconnie, Gregory Byerline, alan-sf, giles.breton, chorickr, Eisbar, Splashing!, ucumari, and iphotograph
How Polar Bears Evolved
Not Your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's Brown Bear
The earliest polar bear fossil is less than 100,000 years old. And it is likely that they separated from the brown (grizzly) bear somewhere near the arctic coast of Siberia.As the polar bear evolved, it's appearance diverged from the brown bear's, growing hair all over it's body except nose and pads of feet. The bear's coat became white to yellow and sometimes light brown depending on the time of year.
The head became elongated with a Roman nose. The cheek teeth became smaller and more jagged and the canines larger and sharper for tearing apart it's favorite food, seal. And their claws are also shorter and more solid than the brown bear.
The polar bear's tail and ears are smaller than the brown bear's but they have huge feet. Their feet are used to swim (used oar-like) and like snowshoes on the snow and ice. They also have small, soft papillae on the bottoms of their feet which gives them traction on the ice when they run.
How Polar Bears Reproduce
Polar Bear Birthing Facts
Although the egg is fertilized, it remains in a state of suspension in the female until late in August or early September. The egg then implants in the wall of the uterus and begins to grow.
Early in November or December, the female, prepares for the impending birth by digging a maternity den. She stays in the den and the babies are born between late November and early January.
Polar Bear Embryos
By Award Winning Photographers
Cibachrome print of polar bear embryos by award winning international photographers, Daniel & Geo Fuchs. To see it and more of their fabulous work, click The Bulger Gallery.By the way, how many embryos do you count?
Polar Bear Birthing Facts
Everything You Want To Know About Polar Bear Cubs
#1
Polar Bears are born deaf and blind.
13 points
#2
The cubs fur is so fine that for a long time they were thought to be born hairless.
7 points
#3
Cubs weigh 1 to 1-1/2 pounds at birth.
6 points
#4
Eyes open around day 26 after birth.
6 points
#5
Cubs get sense of smell at day 50.
4 points
#6
Cubs begin to walk at around 2 months old.
4 points
#7
Males weight more than females at birth.
3 points
#8
When cubs leave their den in March or April, they weigh 25 to 30 pounds.
2 points
#9
Polar bears mate in late April or early May.
2 points
#10
Cubs are born in late November through early January depending on mating.
2 points
Description Of The Polar Bear -- Ursus Maritimus
The Largest Member Of The Bear Family
Polar bears are such great creatures. And to think that it's only in recent evolutionary time that bears adapted to arctic sea life. It started during the Ice Age, in the northern seas, when the seals needed to breathe and reproduce at the surface. By doing this, the seals put a rich year-round food source within reach of a population of brown bears, who then started to live on the ice, evolving into something like the polar bear of today around 100,000 years ago.Weighing about 330 to 1,760 pounds, the length of the polar bear's body is approximately 6.6 to 10 feet (some sources say 8 to 11 feet) tall. The male body is usually larger than the female. The polar bear, similar to the brown bear, is large and stocky. It has an elongated neck and small head. Its fur, usually white, sometimes appears yellow, due to oxidation.
A polar bear has black skin, which helps it absorb and hold heat from the sunlight. It is definitely well dressed for the weather with a layer of fat more than 4 inches thick to provide good insulation. The heavy fur on its feet (its foot is about 9 inches wide and 12 inches long) provides warmth and traction. Since each foot is so large, it acts as a handy snowshoe. They walk with a bow-legged gait.
It is a good swimmer with its broad forepaws that serve as paddles. When swimming underwater, the small ears flatten for protection and its nostril close. It paddles at about 6 and one-half miles per hour - front feet only, hind feet trailing - and can remain submerged for about 2 minutes. The hairs of its waterproof coat are hollow which is a good insulator and increases the bear's buoyancy when swimming.
A polar bear has a good sense of smell, sensing prey at a distance of about 20 miles. Although little is known about its sense of touch (its eyesight and hearing is acute), a polar bear is able to manipulate various objects with great dexterity.
With canine teeth larger and sharper than those of other bears, the polar bear is the most carnivorous North American bear.
Polar Bear Track -- paw print
Polar bear paws are large -- about 9 inches wide and 12 inches long. Here's a photo of a print left by a polar bear. You can see just the front part of the paw. 
Polar bear paw at Alaska zoo
Polar Bear Habits
Fierce, Playful, Maternal
Polar bears, like people, prefer certain foods. They have an acute sense of smell and is able to locate prey, even when hidden by snowdrifts or ice. Polar bears mainly stalks young seals and can eat nearly 50 a year). They also like walruses and capture them by swimming underwater to their ice floes. They also likes algae (when available), berries, birds and bird eggs, crabs, dead animals (including whales), grasses, mushrooms, small mammals, starfish, and sometimes...adult seals.The polar bear, when it returns to it's den is lethargic. Males usually den from late November to late January, while females den for a longer period of time, from November to March. During that time, the sows give birth. The cubs remain with their mother about 1-1/2 to 2 years.
One of the largest denning areas for polar bears is the lowlands of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It is also the only known region where polar bears den in earth rather than in snow. They actually dig down to the permafrost to excavate caves.
Most polar bears meet their potential mates in prime seal-hunting spots. Female polar bears don't breed every year since they have cubs for up to 2 years. So, getting a date can be a real challenge! Therefore, competition for the attention of a female can be truly fierce. The males must fight one another for the privilege of mating, sometimes viciously.
Although mating takes place in late March to mid-July, females delay implantation of its fertilized eggs until early fall when it digs out and enters its den, giving birth a month or two later. To carry off a successful pregnancy and denning, the pregnant female must greatly increase her weight, mostly in fat. The denned mother often goes without food or water for as long as nine months.
The cubs are born in December or January, usually a pair of fur balls. They weigh in at about 1 to 1.5 pounds. When they leave their den in March or Apr, the cubs will weigh 25 to 30 pounds.
I'm going to see LIVE Polar Bears. HOO HOO!
Travel dates set for Sept. 16-21, 2008
HOO HOO!
I'm so excited. I'm going to Anchorage, Alaska in September, 2008! I've been saving quarters in the bank pictured here to see live polar bears. Live either in the wild or in a zoo.
Well, I have an opportunity to visit National Wildlife Federation's Alaska Natural Resource Center and they are located in Anchorage which just so happens to have the Alaska Zoo with 2 polar bears!
I'll also be taking taking a boat cruise with Discovery Voyages for 3-days and 2-nights. We'll be touring Prince William Sound which has 3,000 miles of coastline!
I'll be blogging about it and sharing pictures on my blog Polar Bear News. If you'd like to read my blog and see the pictures, just sign up to get the blog via email or rss feed.
(I'm also having a garage sale to come up with more of the money for the trip. If you have any ideas to help me raise money for the trip, please contact me! Thanks and bear hugs)
My fantasy boat trip on Discovery Voyages
I'm OFF to Alaska today -- Sept 16, 2008!
Alaska Zoo's polar bear cam
I'm having technical difficulties connecting the camera to the computer to download the images and I'm leaving on the boat tour today. So, I'll have to post photos next week when I'm back home. I hope you come back to see the photos I took.
In the meantime, check out the polar bear cam at the zoo by clicking, Live polar bear cam
Polar Bears And Their Habitat
Where You'll Find Polar Bears
Polar bears live only in the Northern Hemisphere. They inhabit the Arctic ice cap, islands, sea ice, and water and continental coastlines. Polar bears prefer the sea ice habitat. They like to be near the continental coastlines or islands.Polar bears are found in Canada, from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay. They are also found in Greenland, the islands off the coast of Norway, on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska and on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union.
Some polar bears spend part of the year on land, although in warmer climates a bear might become stranded. Most pregnant females spend the autumn and winter on land in their maternity dens.
The home range of a polar bear tend to be larger than for other mammal species because of the changes in sea ice from year to year and even season to season. Small home ranges are between 19,000 to 23,000 miles, and can be found near Canadian Arctic Islands. Large home ranges are about 135,000 miles and can be found in the Bering or Chukchi Seas. A polar bear is capable of traveling 19 miles or more per day for several days, although some are capable of much more than that.
Polar Bear Photo Showcase
My favorite bear photos are by ucumari on Flickr. These are just a few. Click ucumari to see her complete bear set.
Great Polar Bear Videos
Voting for best video about Polar Bears
I'm always looking for great videos on Polar Bears. Here are my favorites. Vote for the one you like the best. Let me know if you have a video or if you know of one that is not listed. Enjoy!
For more great polar bear videos -- animated, cartoon, and live, visit Polar Bear Video Showcase
Polar Bears At Play
Watch polar bears playing with each other.5 points
How Not To Rescue A Polar Bear On A Cliff Video
The plan was simply to gently lower the polar bear more...4 points
Polar-bears-and-global-warming
Polar bears live only in the arctic and as the sea more...2 points
Polar Bear: The Arctic Warrior (Ursi's Blog) Video
Wildlife Special (50 minutes) No - it's not about more...1 point
The Oldest Mammals
Of all the classes of animal life, mammals are con more...0 points
Show Your Love For Polar Bears
Polar Bear Ware
Watch Polar Bears Live!
Polar Bears Cams From All Over The World
National Geographic Magazine Polar Bear Cam This live video stream is provided in partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI), RealNetworks, Inc., Frontier North's Tundra Buggy® Adventure, and SeeMore Wildlife Systems. Filmed in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
San Diego Zoo's Polar Bear Plunge You'll meet the 4 polar bears: Kalluk, Tatqiq, Chinook and Shikari. This exhibit also has Siberian reindeer, Pallas' cats, northern birds, and native plants. There's an underwater viewing room where the bears are known to swim right up to the glass to check out all the humans on display.
WWF Save The Polar Bear, Polar Bear Tracker For the last four years WWF has tracked polar bears in the Arctic. Their positions are beamed from collars on the bears' necks, via satellite to scientists, and then to their website. It allows regular updates about how the polar bears behave in their arctic environment and how they may be affected by climate change. You can read more about tagging the polar bears on the WWF website which is brought to you with the help of the Norwegian Polar Institute.Alaska Zoo Polar Polar Bear Cam shows the 2 polar bears at the zoo and included still shots as well.
Live Polar Bear Cam
Watch polar bears up close and personal via a moveable video camera mounted on a roving multi-passenger vehicle in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the "polar bear capital of the world. The mobile cameras are sending out live video only until November 18th, so check them out now. Polar Bear Cam is brought to you in partnership with Polar Bears International, Frontier North's Tundra Buggy Adventure, SeeMore Wildlife Systems, and RealNetworks, Inc.Go to Polar Bear Cam now.
Animated Polar Bears - Created By David Booth
Here's an animated banner that David Booth created for this site. I love it! - Frankie
Are You Polar Bear Aware? TROPHY CASE
No Heads, Hides Or Body Parts, Just Pixels And Bragging Rights
RANKED #1
I am truly grateful to each of you who have visited and rated the lens. Thank you for supporting me in my quest to raise awareness and money to save the Polar Bears. You rock!
WEEKLY Polar Bear Cartoons by David Booth
Cartoon changes every Monday
Bear Cartoon. To see all of David's cartoons, be sure to go to his wonderful website Cabin Fever Art. Tell him you saw him at Polar Bear Aware! You can get this design or any of his other dozens of cartoons and artwork on anything from t-shirts to note cards at Cartoon Bear Ware 
What's Black and White and...?
Happy Birthday David!
Inuit Beliefs About The Polar Bear
The prehistoric Inuit people held strong beliefs about animals and about the polar bear specifically. They knew how to kill animals including polar bears but they believed they had to defer to their spirits when they did.
The beliefs and practices varied some depending on where the people lived. However, they had (maybe some still do) the following common themes: They believed that...
* All creatures have souls.
* That a polar bear would give itself to a hunter only if it were treated properly after death.
* The spirit of an animal might be chosen to be the tornaq (spiritual guardian) of an individual.
* The most powerful tornaq (after the Sedna, the Goddess of the sea, who was held to be the most powerful being of all) was that of a polar bear.
* It was wrong to kill a polar bear too soon after another one was killed so there was a taboo set on hunting. For instance, the Netsilik, Copper, and Inland Inuit abstained for 5 days after killing a female and 4 days for a male.
* If a polar bear was wounded by a hunter, it's soul would be deeply offended and cause sickness and harm to the hunter therefore, it had to be tracked down and killed.
The Inuit people still have much regard and reverence for the polar bear.
The Inuit legend of Qupqugiaq aka Kokogiak
To read the complete story, click Kokogiak
Test Your Polar Bear Aware-ness ...
If You dare!
Answer the following 10 questions to find out how Polar Bear Aware you are. After taking the test, click on the link at the bottom to get the answers and your Aware-ness Quotient. Take the test again after reading though the lens.1. Polar bears evolved from which other bear?
2. Female polar bears are called what?
3. What is the Inuit name for polar bear?
4. What color is the skin of a polar bear?
5. A polar bear can remain submerged for how long?
6. _________ is known as the polar bear capital of the world.
7. A denned mother often goes without food or water for how long?
8. Cubs don't leave the den until they are how old?
9. Besides man, what is the biggest threat Polar Bears face?
10. What is the Polar Bears favorite food?
Aware-ness Quotients:
0 - 1 wrong answers = Polar Bear Aware
2 - 3 wrong answers = Bear-ly Aware
4 - 5 wrong answers = Bears Repeating
6 + wrong answers = Bear-ly Worth Scoring
Click here to see the answers and get your Aware-ness Quotient.
What Is Your Polar Bear Aware Quotient?
How Did You Score On The Polar Bear Aware-ness Test?
See how you compare with others that took the test. Remember, if you don't like your score, take the test again after you finish reading through the lens. I won't tell.
Interesting Polar Bear Facts
Did You Know This about Polar Bears?
Please vote for the one you find most interesting and add your own. Come back to see what else we find out about Polar Bears.
#1
Polar bears are considered marine mammals because their primary habitat is sea ice and not the adjacent land.
6 points
#2
Polar bear liver is not safe for human consumption.
4 points
#3
The polar bear is also called nanook, nanuq, nanuk, ice bear, sea bear, eisbär, isbjørn and white bear.
3 points
#4
Polar bears can sleep in any position.
3 points
#5
Polar bears shed their hair annually in the Spring.
2 points
#6
Alaska's Chukchi and Beauford Seas are known as the Polar Bear Seas.
2 points
#7
Scientific name is Ursus maritimus.
1 point
#8
Polar bears are found only in the Northern Hemisphere.
1 point
#9
United Russia in 2005 approved the polar bear as its new symbol replacing the brown bear.
1 point
Nanuk, Lord Of The Ice Comes To Life (Morphing)
"Nanuk, Lord of the Ice"
This one-of-a kind ceramic sculpture breaks free and comes to life. For more pictures of this sculpture or others, visit Sculptures by Frankie (www.sculpturesbyfrankie.com)
Polar Bears And Global Warming
The Real Reason For Global Warming!
Do you think they started the petition for "threatened" species too?
If you wonder what he's bopping his head to, see the polar bear on the computer screen clapping his hands.
Polar Bear Plight --The Impact Of Global Warming
The Results Of Melting Sea Ice And Oil Exploration On Polar Bears
Polar bears, the world's largest land predators and the largest of the 8 bear species, are under pressure due to the impact of global warming on their Arctic habitat and also oil exploration. It is estimated that there are about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the wild today, about 60% in Canada.
Since it has been projected that by the middle of this century we will no longer have year-round Arctic sea ice, the polar bear may disappear from the wild. Climate change and thinning has already reduced, by a couple weeks, the time mother polar bears have to feed and build the fat that sustains them and feeds their young.
Many scientists believe that the rapid rate of climate change (global warming) underway in the Arctic will produce reverberating effects. In addition to possible changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns, impact on the polar bear is likely to be more immediate and can already be seen in a thinning of the weight of polar bears and also in the birth and survival rate of the cubs.
Highly vulnerable to disturbances, oil exploration impacts denning bears in a number of ways. For instance, when oil exploration equipment drives too close to the dens, it sends shock waves through the ground as it searches for oil and gas reserves, making the polar bear mother abandon her den and her cubs. Since the cubs can't leave the den until they're three months old, if abandoned, they'll die.
At least 1 bear has died from ingesting a toxic substance, due to the chronic release of contaminants from petroleum exploration, production and support activities in existing oil fields on Alaska's North Slope. That's 1 bear too many!
Although most Americans agree that there is not enough oil in the Arctic Refuge to be worth the loss of this place, its people and its wildlife, unfortunately the battle to protect the Arctic continues.
As more people move to the area, they inevitably create garbage and, of course, some polar bears will move in too closely when looking for food, and be killed.
The combination of pollution swirling to the Far North from sources thousands of miles away, along with oil development and global warming, could impact not only the polar bear community but also the entire ecosystem.
Polar Bears And Global Warming
National Wildlife Federation
To Help Save The Polar Bear
When I discovered the problems facing polar bears, I looked for an organization that I could work with to help save them. I found the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Their mission is to protect wildlife for our children's future, connect people with nature and to confront global warming.I am proud to be a member of NWF and to support them in their efforts to save Polar Bears and other animals from extinction.
The NWF is helping to lead a nationwide grassroots effort to protect the Arctic Refuge. For more information on this click NWF-Arctic Refuge. Or, for membership information, click NWF Membership.
50% of all income received on this lens is donated to NWF with the other 50% going to PBI.
Your vote = $2 to NWF
Squidoo is giving $80,000 to charity based on your votes. So, please go to http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo-charity-giveaway and vote for National Wildlife Federation's Alaska Natural Resource Center!
Polar Bears International
The Ultimate Polar Bear Organization
I am so happy to have found Polar Bears International (PBI), a non-profit "dedicated to understanding and communicating all points of view on issues affecting polar bears throughout the world and conservation through research and education."A few of their programs include: The Conference Classroom, where field scientist teach live classes from the tundra via Web casts; a Leadership Camp for high school students from around the world who travel to Churchill, Manitoba to study; a Polar Bear Camp at Gordon Point near Churchill; and several guest lecturer series. PBI also have the most comprehensive website on polar bears anywhere.
For more information or to join or donate to this wonderful organization, click Polar Bears International.
50% of all income received on this lens is donated to PBI with the other 50% going to NWF.
If you buy something from this page ...
If you buy something from this page, you'll automatically be making a donation to the National Wildlife Federation and Polar Bears International, working to save polar bears.Doesn't that feel good?
Show Your Support -- Wear A Bear
Global Warming Mascot by David Booth
You can get David Booth's Global Warming Mascot on t-shirts, cups, sweatshirts and anything else you could want at Global Warming Mascot
Environmental Organizations: Learn About Global Warming
Global Warming Is The #1 Threat To Polar Bears & Our Planet
Scientists estimate that rising Arctic temperatures may cause nearly all of the summer sea ice to vanish by 2040. For more information on climate change and what you can do to help try to reverse this trend, check out these sites:The Climate Change Project A movement to educate and challenge citizens, and governments into action against the growing crisis of global warming. Their 1st initiative is to train 1000 lecturers who will present the information delivered in An Inconvenient Truth to audiences across America.
Live Earth: The Concert for a Climate in Crisis To learn more about Al Gore's Live Earth concert to combat our climate crisis set for 7/7/07 across all 7 continents and expected to reach over 2 billion people.
The Environment Defense Blog on Global Warming Takes you directly to Environment Defense's blog which will keep you informed of the science and policy of global warming. You can access the rest of their site from there as well.
Artic Essay The science behind the dangers of global warming to polar bears. Written by Scott L. Schliebe, Polar Bear Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Polar Bear SOS NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) Mission is to safeguard the earth: its people, its plants and animals.
Polar Bear Specialist Group Of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March A non-partisan effort to bring citizens together to declare global warming is here now and demand solutions.
Target Global Warming fights for the conservation interests of hunters, anglers and is committed to inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for future generations.
Endangered Species Organizations Protecting Polar Bears
Friends of Polar Bears And All Other Animals
Interested in learning more about Polar Bears? Read about the organizations and what they are doing to help the polar bear and other endangered species.National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Tel: 800-822-9919
11100 Wildlife Center Dr, Reston, VA 20190-5362
Mission:
To inspire Americans to:
* protect wildlife for our children's future
* connect people with nature
* confront global warming
Polar Bears International (PBI) Tel: 225-923-3114
105 Morris Street, Suite 188, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Mission:
1. Conserve the world's polar bear through research & education.
2. Serve as a central educational resource on polar bears worldwide.
3. Promote teamwork and encourage constructive dialogue.
4. Build an organization that is international in scope.
5. Operate in a fiscally responsible fashion.
Bears - BearPlanet.org
Mission:
* take care for all species of Bears.
* to educate visitors about all aspects and attributes of Bears
Defenders of Wildlife Tel: 1-800-385-9712
1130 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Mission:
Dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
More Endangered Species Organizations
Check Out These Websites For Valuable Infomation
- Gander Academy's Endangered Species Resources on the World Wide Web
- This site from Gander Academy is designed for primary and elementary students and teachers. It presents a series of w