Polar bear family in hats and scarves

About this drawing

A polar bear family bundled up for the holidays is a sweet picture, but in the wild, cubs are raised by their mother alone, and she is one of the most devoted parents in the animal kingdom.

In late fall, a pregnant female digs a maternity den in a snowdrift. She settles in for the winter, and in the coldest months she gives birth, usually to twins. Newborn cubs are tiny, blind and nearly hairless, and they rely completely on their mother's very rich milk.

Mother and cubs stay inside the den for months. The mother does not eat during this time and lives off the fat she built up beforehand. When spring arrives, they break out of the den, and the cubs, now bigger and stronger, start exploring and playing in the snow.

Cubs stay with their mother for about two and a half years, learning to hunt seals on the ice, swim in frigid water and survive the cold. Adult males play no part in raising them. Polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt, so their future is closely tied to the health of the Arctic.

• polar bears
• family
• merry christmas
• arctic animals