The polar bears inhabit the frozen regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in the Arctic. At present, an approximate population of 20,000 individuals is estimated. Their number has dropped drastically in recent years.
They are solitary bears that do not hibernate. In this article on our site we will talk about polar bear feeding, its main prey and feeding habits. We will also learn about the threats to which it is exposed today.
Also, if you want to know how polar bears survive in such a cold environment, read our article about how polar bears survive the cold.
Polar Bear Feeding
The polar bears are one of the world's largest land mammals. Adult males weigh more than 350 kg and are 2.5 m long, females are slightly smaller. They need huge amounts of meat to sustain themselves, some 30kg or so.
They are animals carnivores Other species of bears incorporate numerous vegetables and fruits into their diet. Polar bears, due to the region they inhabit, only sporadically eat vegetables in the arctic summer. For this reason they are the most carnivorous bears on earth.
Polar bears don't drink water. The water they have in their environment is s alty, so they need to obtain fluids from the blood and body of their prey.
Throughout your life your eating habits change. Young individuals mainly consume the meat of prey. Adults first consume the fat and skin of animals.
Main prey of the polar bear
- Seals: It is the preferred prey of polar bears and is the most numerous in the Arctic. Seals have a high fat content and some species can weigh up to 350 kg. Polar bears feed on ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus). At the end of summer the seals withdraw from the arctic and the bears lose their main source of food.
- Walruses: Young or injured specimens are hunted when they surface.
- Belugas: These cetaceans are common prey for polar bears.
- White-beaked dolphins: It has recently been observed that white-beaked dolphins are also hunted by polar bears. These dolphins come to Sualbard waters in the summer and can get trapped in the ice.
- Land Prey: Although it primarily hunts marine prey, it may occasionally hunt wounded or sick arctic foxes or other animals. It's not very fast on land so it doesn't waste energy on ground grappling.
- Carrion: If a polar bear finds remains of any prey, it will consume them even in a state of decomposition. They are occasional scavengers.
How do polar bears hunt?
To catch its prey it uses its effective sense of smell. When the seals or belugas come to the surface to breathe they hit them and dig their claws into them to get them out of the water. Although they swim very well, they prefer to face their prey on the ice.
They can attack individuals that are on the coast, in the breeding areas. They will attack young or injured specimens first.
It is the dominant predator of the region it inhabits. Sometimes groups of arctic foxes chase them to feed on the remains they leave behind. With the exception of humans, the polar bear has no natural predators.
Cannibalism
The lack of hunting can cause situations of cannibalism between polar bears. Adult male bears have been observed attacking young members of their species. Global warming may be leading polar bears to change their behavior and cannibalism may occur.
Male bears, including other bear species, attack their young so that the female comes into heat earlier. It could be this phenomenon that, although cruel, occurs in nature. Brown bears for example have also been observed doing this.
In any case, polar bears are not cannibals by nature and if it occurs they are isolated cases.
Current situation of the polar bear
Although in the past hunting was one of the main threats to the polar bear, today it is pollution and loss of its natural habitat.
Global warming has caused huge masses of ice in the polar regions to disappear. This melting of the poles has forced the polar bear to withdraw from its usual areas.
They are forced to travel great distances and are sometimes trapped on islets of drift ice. Environments in which it used to live and which were made up of huge blocks of ice are now large masses of water with small islets. This makes them have to swim for longer journeys and even though they are excellent swimmers it makes them consume a lot of energy.
The little cubs suffer much more from this situation. Photos of adult polar bears in a state of malnutrition have recently been taken. This is a reflection of the delicate situation that polar bears live. The destruction of their habitat will cause a decline in the population in the coming years if the situation is not improved.
