Where does the polar bear live?
The polar bear lives in the Arctic and nearby areas: Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia and the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Some have been recorded as close as 25 km from the North Pole. It prefers the sea ice that forms every year, and lives on land when the ice melts in summer. It still occupies most of its original range, more than any other large land carnivore, because people are hardly present there.
What does the polar bear eat?
The polar bear is mostly a meat-eater: it hunts seals, especially ringed seals, usually by ambush. It may stalk them on the ice or in the water, or wait beside a breathing hole or at the ice edge for prey to swim by. It mainly eats their blubber, which is very rich in energy. An excellent swimmer, it paddles with its broad front paws and can dive for three minutes. It travels an average of 12 km a day.
Is the polar bear endangered?
Yes: the IUCN has listed it as Vulnerable since 2015, with a population estimated between 22,000 and 31,000. The main threats are climate change, pollution and energy development. A 2008 study predicted that two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by 2050, because of shrinking sea ice.
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