The Polar Bear is the largest carnivore on land. They may look like the stuffed toy in your bedroom but they are very fierce.

They are very well adapted to the harsh Environment that they live in. They have a thick, white fur coat that keeps them warm and well camouflaged. The camouflage is so that the prey of the polar bear cannot see it, although it is useful for hiding from humans. The polar bear has wide feet with rough pads to grip on the ice. The wide feet help the Ice bear to walk on the snow and swim in the arctic waters. The bears have a thick layer of fat, a dense undercoat and a overcoat of coarse, hollow guard hair. These things keep the bear very cosy in winter but when the summer comes the bear becomes too warm.

The Polar bear is a skilled and patient hunter. They can sniff out a seal even if it is in it's den under the snow. The large paws are so powerful that they can kill a seal with one swipe. The bears eat a wide range of foods. They eat seaweed, berries, rubbish, eggs, grass and sometimes a beluga whale. But the favourite meal of the bear is definately the seal.

In late autumn the female digs a den in a snowdrift. The snow soon covers the entrance but the mother makes a breathing hole in the roof. In mid-winter she gives birth to one or two cubs. She keeps them warm by cuddling them up to her stomach. The mothers milk is rich and fattening. The mother often digs a playroom for her cubs so she can hibernate in peace. When March comes along they are strong enough to stand the cold outside. The mother breaks open the entrance to the den and the cubs play in the snow and test the strength of their legs. The Polar bear cubs stay with their mother for two years, in which time they are taught to hunt.