Polar Bear Walking Across the Arctic

About this drawing

A polar bear walking across the ice may be on a journey of hundreds of miles. These bears live around the North Pole, in parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, and they are true wanderers.

Their real home is sea ice, the frozen layer floating on the Arctic Ocean. From the ice they hunt seals, their main food. Because the ice grows and shrinks with the seasons, bears must keep moving to follow it, and some cover huge territories every year.

They are also outstanding swimmers. Big front paws work like paddles, and a bear can swim for hours between floes. That is why scientists classify the polar bear as a marine mammal, even though it spends so much time on foot.

On solid ground, polar bears walk slowly to save energy. Their wide paws spread their weight like snowshoes, letting them cross thin ice more safely. That steady, unhurried stride is one of the keys to surviving in one of the coldest places on the planet. That endurance has made the polar bear a symbol of the Arctic and of wildlife that thrives where few other large animals can. Watching one walk across the ice is a reminder of how vast its world really is.

• polar bear
• arctic
• wild animals
• winter