Polar Bears

Polar Bears - Introductory Notes

Picture source: Borealforest org © 2002 Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment, Lakehead University

For a long time polar bears have been considered the fiercest and the most dangerous predators for humans. However, some of the latest studies have shed some light on that aspect and proved that rumors about their cosmically terrific nature are frequently sheer exaggerations. It is true that Polar bears are huge and powerful, but those who happened to watch them say, that, just as the majority of predators, they rarely attack humans all of a sudden, except when they are hungry or when protecting their cubs.

Noticeably, Polar Bears are remarkably intelligent. They have the ability to recognize traps and the knack for finding hiding seals such as seals that hide in ice crevices. Their ability to avoid traps has been observed once when hunters set a trap. The trap consisted of a rope loop that was safely covered with snow and a piece of whale fat had been laid nearby. When a polar bear came close to the food, it somehow managed to spot the loop. Then it looked around and cautiously moved the rope aside with his paw.

Nowadays polar bears are endangered species. Good fur and meat have made them perfect targets for hunters. There were times when the population of the bears plunged to 5,000 species. Now all countries, where there are Polar bears, have established various conservation projects. The restriction of bear hunting has contributed to the increase in the population of polar bears up to 40,000 species.