Polar Bears: Kings of the Ice

Far up at the top of the world, across the frozen Arctic, wanders the largest land hunter on Earth: the polar bear. A big male can weigh as much as six grown-ups and stand taller than a door when he rears up on his back legs.

Life on the ice is freezing, so polar bears wear amazing coats. Each hair is hollow and clear — it looks white because it reflects light, but underneath their skin is actually black to soak up every scrap of warmth from the Sun. On top of that, a thick layer of fat works like a duvet, and their furry paws act like snow boots with built-in grips.

Polar bears are champion swimmers. They paddle for miles through icy water using their big front paws like paddles, sometimes swimming for days between pieces of floating ice.

Their favourite food is seal, which is full of energy. A polar bear waits patiently beside a hole in the ice — sometimes for hours — until a seal pops up for air. One quick swipe, and dinner is served. After a good meal, a bear can go for days without eating again.

Mother polar bears dig cosy dens in snowdrifts where their tiny cubs are born in midwinter. The cubs drink rich milk and snuggle up until spring, when they follow Mum out onto the ice to learn the family business: hunting, swimming and surviving in the beautiful, freezing Arctic.