Wildlife Rhythms

Wild Reality: Joy of Polar Bear Babies I

Manitoba, Canada, March 2009: enjoy heartwarming family scenes from the Arctic.

Endangered polar bear mothers give birth to cubs in the December - January timeframe. After the cubs are born, the families remain in their dens for 2 months while the tiny cubs develop and grow.

Around March 1st, families emerge from their dens and stay around for a week as the cubs get acclimated to their new environment and extreme weather. At this age, the cubs have no fat on them to keep them warm. And, the temperatures are harsh, minus 40 to 50 with windchill, with many predators around.

Then, these families make the 40 plus mile trek to the coastline of Hudson Bay so that mothers can hunt for food on the bay. These moms haven't eaten in 6 - 8 months and are anxious to eat and regain their strength in order to raise their cubs to healthy sub-adults.

With special thanks to Mike and staff.