One of the 8 bears on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Ursidae
Ursus maritimus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The largest land carnivore in the world, perfectly adapted to the Arctic cold and dependent on sea ice for hunting seals.
Weight
350 kg – 700 kg
Size
2 m – 2.5 m
Life expectancy
25 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Estimated population
Some 26,000 animals (range 22,000-31,000) spread across 19 subpopulations, close to half of them unassessed
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: MarineBio; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); A-Z Animals; PBS Nature; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game; Wiig et al. 2015, IUCN Red List e.T22823A14871490 || Wiig et al. 2015, IUCN Red List e.T22823A14871490; San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library
Best time: October to November
The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Polar Bear — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The polar bear is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as Polar Bears International work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Visit the Polar Bears International websiteIt's documented in 4 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about polar bear.
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