The hard life of the polar bear
The hard life of the polar bear
Because of global warming, the largest predator of the Arctic is losing its habitat isessential: the sea ice. And moms need to defend cubs from adult males hungry
Photo by Florian Schulz
A polar bear on a raft of ice off the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Most of the bears spend their whole lives on sea ice, hunting all year round, only the females will venture ashore to build a den in which to give birth.
But with the rising temperatures, the icy wastes are becoming increasingly rare and small, and the bears are forced to consume a lot of energy swimming in
A mother bear nursing two cubs on an ice platform survived until late July off the coast of Svalbard.
Svalbard, the photographer Florian Schulz saw a male followed a female bear with two cubs. "When his mother saw him, warned in a small breath, and all threebegan to run low in your ears," says the photographer.
This photograph was taken immediately after the previous mother bear and her two cubs jump from one ice floe to another to escape the male predator. The threecontinued to run for a long time after sowing the male.
Baby animal photos from National Geographic
Baby Harp Seal
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Baby Asian Elephant in Tall Grass
Photograph by William Albert Allard
Lynx and Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Black Bear Mother and Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Leopard Cub Playing With Mother's Tail
Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Bobcat Kitten in the Wild
Photograph by Hope Ryden
Polar Bear Mother With Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Cheetah Mother and Cubs
Photograph by Chris Johns
Black Bear Cub
Photograph by Robert Caputo