There are eight living species of bear, the male Polar Bear vies with their Alaskan cousin, the Kodiak Grizzly bear for the largest living land carnivore. As with most bears they have a heavy build, thick limbs, diminutive tail, small furry ears and sharp teeth. The Polar Bear has a more slender body, head and longer neck. The large, powerful and hardy Polar Bear lives along the frozen shores and in the icy waters of the Artic Ocean. Sometimes they ride floating on chunks of ice as far as the Gulf of St. Lawrence (1210km) south of the Arctic circle. They have a thick, white coat that is made up of transparent hollow cylinders. A perfect camouflage blending with their background of ice floes in the Arctic. The hairs trap and
concentrate the sun's energy like miniature greenhouses. The Polar Bear has fur on the soles of their paws that keep the feet warm and also helps them to move swiftly over slippery ice inspite of their size. They can run up to 65 km per hr, are
excellent hunters, tireless swimmers by paddling with their front legs and stretching their head forward, and are good climbers. Polar Bears hunt ringed seals and sea birds, lemmings, fish, berries, and grasses for food. Their powerful claws
allow them to grip so effectively on hard-packed ice that they can climb steep ice walls. Adult males measure up to 4 metres long and can weigh 1002 kg. The dense fur and thick layers of fat beneath their skin protect them from the bitter cold. They
have a keen sense of smell and live in dens during the colder months. The female usually gives birth to twin cubs. Breeding takes place only every other year which accounts for the low population numbers. Most family groups stay together for about two years. Wild Polar Bears may live to 33 years.

Bears are usually peaceful animals that try to avoid a fight and run from danger. They have few nemies except other bears and humans. Polar Bears rarely kill people for their survival. The Inuit, hunt Polar Bears for their meat, use the bones for many kinds of uternsils and make clothes from the hides. Hunters kill many polar bears while they swim, for sport and for their attractive and valuable pelts. Polar Bears pursued by hunters take a flying leep of more than 15km into the sea from the top of an iceberg. The Polar Bear is now found to have elevated amounts of PCB in its body fat, poisons that are being passed to coming generations of bears as they nurse in their birth caves. The polar bear is suffering from exploitation, it is absent or reduced in many areas.

The 'Island Collection' wildlife design painted by Jean Sindelar portrays the awesome Polar Bear surrounded by Caribou, Arctic Hares & Foxes, Walrus, Ringed Seal, Beluga and Narwhal, Arctic Terns and ice crystals by Ro London

Island Collection