Polar bear cubs start their lives as cute and cuddly youngsters.

This is in stark contrast to the majestic kings of the Arctic they will become if they survive to maturity.

Female polar bears have their first set of cubs between the ages of four and eight (usually at age five or six). Females in the Low Arctic wean their cubs as they approach their second birthday, while those in the High Arctic, where conditions are more a lot more harsh and demanding, care for their cubs an additional year

Polar bear cubs are most often born in pairs, but sometimes the litter contains three cubs and possibly only one cub. They’re born between November through January in a den. These snow dens are known as “maternity dens” and are made to protect the newborn cubs from the freezing Arctic temperature extremes.

At birth, the cubs are 30 to 35 centimeters (12 to 14 inches) in length and weigh a little more than half a kilogram (about a pound) . Having no senses, during their first few vulnerable weeks of life, they nurse most of the time and stay as close as possible to their mother to keep themselves warm. The female has special crevices within which the cubs can get the warmth they need to survive.

Polar bear cubs are born small and helpless, with their eyes closed and their fur is very fine at birth, making the cubs look hairless. They get their first glimpses of their mothers after they open their eyes sometime during the first month.

The cubs grow very quickly while they’re in the den, thanks to the calories in their mother’s rich milk, which has a fat content of roughly 31% . Cubs often lie on there mothers belly to nurse while their mother sits back and puts her head back and seems to slightly move back and forth as if to rock the cubs. The cubs begin walking inside the den at roughly two months. During this time, the cubs still spend about 85% of their time in the den, sleeping there at night.

When she finally emerges with her cubs, most often in late March or April, she leads them to the sea ice so she can break her long fast by hunting seals. Cubs begin eating solid food at this time which is at approximately three to four months of age.

The cubs usually stay with their mother until they’re 2 1/2 years old, although some bears in the Hudson Bay area wean their young at age 1 1/2 . When the cubs reach a point where they have suitable strength and coordination, and when they are able to walk well and respond to their mother’s motion and sound commands such as stay or come, they are ready to leave their mother and the den.

During the time that the cubs are with their mother, they must learn how to hunt and survive in one of the Earth’s harshest environments by watching their mother. A mother bear’s success at hunting seals directly influences their well-being and determines whether or not the cubs will live or die once they are on their own. A mother will sometimes carry her cubs on her back through areas of deep snow or water if conditions are too hazardous for the youngster.

Once the cubs are weaned, either the mother bear or the male chases the cubs away so that they can begin life on their own.

Polar Bear Cubs and Environmental Issues

As you can see, Polar bear cubs are very vulnerable during their first few months. This period is the time during which most of the deaths from global warming and pollution take place.

Mother bears are feeding on polluted fish and seals. The pollution is stored in their massive body fat and when they have their offspring, they pass the pollution on to the young via there high-fat mother’s milk. Often their cub’s immune systems are too weak to fend off the toxins and the resulting complications, so they die.

Global climate change is shortening the time that bears have to breed and this means that they put off having their children until too far into the season. So, fewer bears are being born.

This double whammy is causing Polar bear populations to decrease dramatically.

One study estimated that only 43 percent of polar bear cubs in the southern Beaufort Sea survived their first year during the year 2000, compared to a 65 percent survival rate in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Clearly, something must be done to maintain polar bear reproduction at a rate that ensures the survival of the species.

In this article we will discover some facts about polar bears.Polar bears are carnivorous animals and largest among the bear family.They are the residents of north Arctic,northern Alaska and green land.They are well adapted to frozen climate.The skin of the bear is black and can absorb a large amount of heat.They have a double layer of fur for protection from frozen climate.The fur of the bear also provides camouflage and insulation.Most of the times the they suffer from the problem of over heating.The ears and tail of the polar bears are smaller as compared to the other species of bears.The feet are very large and are adapted to walk on snow.These animals practically don`t drink water.

The main food of these bears include seals,walrus,whales,birds,vegetation and kelp.Polar bears are mainly dependent on pack ice for their survival.Polar bear is a polygamous animal and spends lot of time in mating and denning.Male and females live separately and come together for mating.Females eat a lot while preparing for pregnancy.

Polar bear is a unique animal at high risk of extinction.The population of these animals is rapidly decreasing due to global warming effects.Because of the rapidly melting snow polar bears are dying nowadays.The polar bears are already listed in the list of endangered species.

This unique species of bear is known for their hunting skills.They are aggressive,curious and extremely dangerous for human beings.

rt time each year, the remote Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba is transformed into the Polar Bear Capital of the World. This curious place, accessible by air, sea or train, with its long main street, low rise buildings and distinctly pioneering feel, becomes the centre of attention for bears and visitors alike.

Knut and Flocke are amongst the cutest bears

In October and November, as many as 1200 bears gather here on the icy tundra, waiting for the sea to freeze so they can wander out in search of seals. After fasting for the summer, the bears are particularly hungry. Churchill is perched on a spit of land between the western shore of Hudson Bay and the Churchill River and for centuries, this peninsula has been the bears natural access point into the bay.

Polar bears have the ability to detect scent from as far away as 20 miles. Churchill proves irresistible, particularly if the big freeze is taking a while to happen. But dont be concerned, the resident Polar Bear Police have a tried and tested humane procedure for dealing with strays that wander where they are not wanted. It involves a rather large trap, tranquilliser dart, a brief stay in the polar bear jail, then a helicopter trip out of town to relocate somewhere more appropriate. This closely monitored procedure works well for the bears and the townsfolk.

The great advantage of polar bear watching in Churchill is that its a comfortable adventure. Instead of camping on an ice field with an arctic wind howling through your tent, after youve spent a day with the bears you simply return to civilisation, eat a hearty home cooked meal and then sleep in a comfortable hotel bed.

Temperatures can range from minus ten degrees to nine degrees and although there is likely to be snow and possibly rain, there is also a good chance of having bright, clear days so bring sunglasses. The particularly dark nights and lack of artificial lighting outside of town, you may well get to witness a display of the northern lights.

Churchill occupies a transitional zone where the stunted trees of the taiga meet the mosses of the tundra. Blanketed with snow in the winter and covered by thousands of bogs and lakes in the summer, this terrain is completely flat until it reaches the sloping banks of the Churchill River and the ridge around Hudson Bay, whose grey quartzite boulders have been rubbed smooth by the action of the ice, wind and water.

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Douglas Scott works for The Rental Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Churchill Rental Site