Wildlife Rhythms

Wild Reality (Latest): Joy of Polar Bear Babies III: Born to Live

Manitoba, Canada, March 2011: Enjoy more 2 month old polar bear babies as they struggle to beat the odds of survival. Also, see the behind the scenes video made by ABC Nightline News while we were there (link below).

This gallery starts with a mom resting with her single cub in minus 50F degree temperatures. They were on their way to the bay so that mom can hunt for food. Even though she had not eaten in 6 - 8 months, the weather was too harsh for the cub to travel. So, the family had to wait for the snow flurries to pass. This cub was very healthy because it didn't have to share mom's rich milk with other siblings. In fact, it was the chubbiest cub that I've ever seen.

Next up are adorable twins. The weather was 10 degrees warmer, so they were out and about playing in their new surroundings. Soon, mom announced that it was time to continue on their journey. The smallest cub immediately took a position on its mother's back so that it didn't have to walk on the icy tundra. At this age, cubs have little to no insulation on their tiny little feet.

There's one image of a 2nd set of twins, snuggling on their mom's back while she rested. On this day, the weather was extremely cold, windy and overcast, so the two huddled together with only the tops of their heads exposed. Periodically, they popped their heads up to check out their surroundings. The twins were fascinated with their new endless white home, as well as new sights, sounds and smells. For the first two months of their life, they had lived in a peaceful chamber - also known as a den - buried deep under the snow. And now, everything was very different. These are the same twins that are shown in the Intro section.

Lastly, this gallery features a very precious set of triplets. Unlike previous years, one baby was unusually very tiny. Mom kept him resting under her arm for the longest time while the other cubs played on top of her back. We worried whether the tiny cub would be able to keep up with mom and siblings when it was time to move on towards the bay. Cubs often have to run just to keep up with their mom's long strides; and, the trek is at least 40 miles long.

At the end of a long rest day, mom decided that it was time to continue with their journey. At first, the tiny cub didn't get up to follow. But not wanting to be left behind, the cub finally popped up and struggled to make it to the top of the snow bank. When it succeeded, the cub appeared to smile as the setting sun encouraged him with warm energy.

The family then stopped at the top of the hill for a meal break. The sun went down and that was the last that we saw of them. The next day, we heard from researchers that the family had trekked a miraculously long 5 miles. Hooray for the little one and praying for more day to day miracles.

To see more adorable polar bears, go to:

- Joy of Polar Bear Babies I: Hello New World 2009

- Joy of Polar Bear Babies II: Most Adorable Triplets 2010

- Joy of Polar Bear Adults: Hungry for the Seal Buffet 2008