Golden Glow Polar Bears Churchill is a photograph by Carole-Anne Fooks which was uploaded on June 8th, 2012.
Golden Glow Polar Bears Churchill
Polar bear, Ursus maritimus, which means sea bear. ... more
Title
Golden Glow Polar Bears Churchill
Artist
Carole-Anne Fooks
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Polar bear, Ursus maritimus, which means sea bear.
Polar bear mother and her cub standing on a frozen lake in the Tundra. They are back-lit by the setting sun creating a pinky-golden glow around their bodies. This bear has not had anything substantial to eat for about 8 months. She is waiting for the ice to freeze on Hudson Bay so that she can hunt for Harp Seals. Adult female polar bears weigh from 330 to more than 550 pounds, 150 to more than 250 kilos. The cub is 10-11 months old & still breast feeding. Polar Bears are endangered due to global warming. It is estimated that the Churchill population will be unviable in 30 years, and it is the largest single Polar bear population. Polar Bears are the canaries of Climate Change!!!!
In Alaska and other sites, as the Arctic melts, more polar bear mothers choose to den on land rather than in the sea ice - probably sensing that the sea ice is too unstable. In late fall, pregnant females tunnel into coastal snow banks to claw out dens where they give birth to their cubs. Snow soon drifts across the entry holes, completely hiding the dens from view.
Unfortunately, many of the best coastal denning spots buzz with industrial activity. Yet little is known about polar bear denning behaviour. Studies on thse issues and more are being carried out by Polar Bears International and other wildlife scientists.
Polar bear fur is made up of a layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs, which appear white to tan but are actually translucent. The fur keeps them very warm. The skin is not white; it is black, even the insides of their mouths and their tongues. Therefore, they can absorb sunlight efficiently. They are strong and can swim very well, but with less ice more bears are having to swim further to find less food to their detriment.
Photo by Carole-Anne Fooks.
Uploaded
June 8th, 2012
