Sophie+L

 ​With the recent new of global warning, and the statements that the polar bear is the first animal to become endangered because of global warming many people are wondering how many polar bears are there? That is a question that the answer is still being researched. No one really knows how many polar bears there are because they are hard to count, and at times hard to find. Researches estimate that there are between 22 000 and 40 000 polar bears in the world. Close to half of the polar bear population lives in Canada.

​ Polar Bear Facts


 * their large front paws, which they use to paddle, are slightly webbed.
 * Polar bears live in one of the planet's coldest environments and depend on a thick coat of insulated fur, which covers a warming layer of fat.
 * Fur even grows on the bottom of their paws, which protects against cold surfaces and provides a good grip on ice.
 * polar bears have black skin better to soak in the sun's warming rays.
 * Females den by digging into deep snow drifts, which provide protection and insulation from the Arctic elements.
 * They give birth in winter, usually to twins.
 * Young cubs live with their mothers for some 28 months to learn the survival skills of the far north.
 * Females aggressively protect their young, but receive no help from their solitary male mates.
 * male polar bears may even kill young of their species.
 * they are powerful predators that do not typically fear humans, which can make them dangerous.
 * These powerful predators typically prey on seals.
 * In search of this quarry they frequent areas of shifting, cracking ice where seals may surface to breath air.
 * They also stalk ice edges and breathing holes.
 * If the opportunity presents itself, polar bears will also consume carcasses, such as those of dead whales.
 * <span style="color: #067eea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">These Arctic giants are the masters of their environment and have no natural enemies.

<span style="color: #067eea; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="color: #067eea; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Diminishing Artic sea ice is shrinking the primary habitat of the polar bear. Polar bears are the largest carnivore on land. Males are called boars and can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds and stand nearly 10 feet tall. Female polar bears are called sows and generally weight about half of what boars weigh. The paws of a polar bear spread out when they step to act like snow shoes to help them walk over snow and ice. They have a very strong sense of smell. A polar bear can smell a seal up to 20 miles away. Polar bears travel all year through out their home range. A home range can be any where from 20,000 to 135,000 square miles. Polar bears are meat eaters. Their primary food consists of ringed and bearded seals but depending on where they live, polar bears may also scavenge on the remains of dead whales and walruses. Polar bears need about 4 pounds of fat per day to survive. Polar bears are found through out the Artic Circle including Canada, Norway, Alaska, Russia and Greenland. Depending on the weather, polar bears can be as far south as Hudson Bay. Polar bears prefer sea ice habitat with water channels or cracks to better allow for hunting of seals. Some polar bears spend part of the year on land. **<span style="color: #067eea; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Did You Know? ** A polar bear's skin is black.
 * Conservation Issues**
 * Physical Characteristics**
 * Home Range**
 * Feeding Behavior**
 * Geographic Location**
 * Habitat**