What is the state doing to preserve the brown bear? FAQ

Days in the northern hemisphere are getting longer and warmer. Of course, people are rejoicing at the coming warmth. However, the same cannot be said about polar bears. Animals feel great at temperatures of -45 degrees and below. But they experience discomfort from overheating. In addition, an increase in average temperatures creates the preconditions for a reduction in the population of the planet's largest predator.

What is happening in the Arctic today? Polar bears feed exclusively on the meat of mammals, mainly pinnipeds: seals, seals; in addition, the bear eats carrion and what the sea throws up. Sometimes, when he is especially hungry, he feeds on rodents, moss and berries.

Reduction in the area of ​​ice cover in the Arctic seas and changes in age structure sea ​​ice forces polar bears to spend more time on the coast and on islands. Staying on the shore for a long time, polar bears are deprived of access to their main source of food - seals that live on sea ​​ice, and are also at high risk of collision with a person, as a result of which they can be shot.

Today, according to scientists, there are 20-25 thousand individuals left on earth. Is it a lot or a little? Should we preserve this species? And if they should, then why? Let's figure it out.

So, are there many polar bears left? NO! Their number is extremely small. And it continues to decline, despite the protection of the animal and prohibitions on its production. Just one fact. Between 2004 and 2007, out of 80 human-tagged polar bear cubs, only two survived. Previously, at least 50% of newborns managed to survive.

The answer to the next question has already become obvious. We must, we simply must, protect this species from extinction. And this should be done not because polar bears are cute, or so that our descendants will see them in person and not in photographs. If the polar bear disappears, the Arctic ecosystem will also be under threat. As we already know, the diet polar bear- These are various marine animals, mainly pinnipeds. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that the population of these species will increase sharply after the disappearance of their main enemy. But the number of fish living in the waters of the Arctic Ocean may decrease, as there will be many more marine predators, which means they will need more food. And this will be a huge problem for both animals and people.

On the other hand, polar bears provide food for small predators that are unable to feed themselves by hunting. If a bear manages to kill a walrus, then first of all it devours the skin and fat, the rest of the carcass only in case of severe hunger. The remains of the prey are usually eaten by arctic foxes. This means that without the help of intelligence, arctic foxes may be on the verge of extinction or even die.

Thus, people must do everything to keep the polar bear alive.

What steps is Russia taking in this direction?

In Russia, polar bear hunting has been completely prohibited since 1957; this species is listed in the Red Book. Other Arctic countries began introducing hunting restrictions much later.

Since 2010, the Russian Geographical Society has supported the Polar Bear project. Its goal is the conservation and study of polar bears in the Russian Arctic, the development of non-invasive methods for collecting biological material (shed guard hairs, excrement) for genetic studies of the population structure of the species in the region.

By the way, the study of these animals by Russian scientists is the most humane thing in the world. Thus, in the USA, to study polar bears, a fang is still removed from a euthanized animal. What is it like for a predator to live without tools for hunting?

The Russian Geographical Society is constantly expanding the range of polar bear research: first it was the Barents Sea population, in 2013 an aerial census of the Chukchi-Alaskan population was carried out for the first time, and in 2014 work began on the coast of Taimyr.

The work is being carried out in collaboration with the Council on Marine Mammals, the Russian Arctic National Park, the Taimyr Nature Reserves, as well as the A.N. Institute of Ecology and Evolution. Severtsov RAS.

On March 22-24 this year, Russian scientists met with American colleagues in San Diego. During the meeting, a document was signed on a joint study of polar bears in Chukotka and Alaska in the period 2016-2018.

Thus, for many years Russia has been concerned about preserving the population of the northern predator. We understand that saving polar bears means preserving the Arctic ecosystem, and, consequently, the Earth’s ecosystem.

Well, who will now say that Russia is pursuing only its own utilitarian goals in the Arctic?

Are the authorities hindering or helping WWF to protect polar bears?

The state protects the polar bear as a species included in the List of Threatened Species International Union Nature Conservation (International Red Book) and the Red Book Russian Federation. The president's interest in the polar bear is improving the situation, as many people are becoming more attentive to the very task of preserving this species. Scientists studying polar bears receive additional funding, which means the opportunity to conduct new research, since this is how important state task. But the main thing that the state can do for the bear is to create an effective system for monitoring the number of the species, combat poaching and the illegal trade in skins.

At the initiative of WWF, a Polar Bear Conservation Strategy was prepared, which was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources. But the implementation of the Action Plan until 2020 in accordance with this Strategy requires money, so it is still poorly implemented in practice.

Has WWF already managed to do anything significant to save the polar bear?

Yes, it worked. For example, we have been running the Bear Patrol program for several years now, which is aimed at preventing conflicts between bears and humans. Due to the melting of the ice, the bear began to come ashore more often and approach human habitations in search of food. Encounters often end badly, sometimes for humans, but usually for bears, since people in those places usually go armed.

We took an active part in the development of the “Strategy for the Conservation of Polar Bears in the Russian Federation.” This strategy was approved by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources in July 2010.

It describes specific mechanisms that help preserve bear populations. It is indicated what legislative amendments need to be made, how to improve the system of protected natural areas what to do Scientific research, how to work with the population of “bear” regions in order to achieve the goal. WWF is trying to ensure that the provisions of the strategy are implemented in practice and expects that this will bring real benefits to the polar bear in the near future.

WWF monitors poaching locally and, together with the organization TRAFFIC, monitors advertisements on the Internet for the sale of illegally obtained skins.

What is there not enough funding for?

Funding is needed for anti-poaching activities, in particular to prevent illegal hunting in the field. The level of poaching is assessed jointly with regional hunting organizations, which have the opportunity to directly communicate with local residents and receive fairly objective information from them.

WWF could, with additional funding, support local inspectorates that prevent illegal hunting and provide them with money to purchase equipment. The funds would also be useful for paying fees to volunteer employees from local public anti-poaching inspections.

In addition, we need to know how many polar bears live in the Russian Arctic. Only with this information can one develop protective measures and make informed management decisions in different regions. This means we need money to research bear populations.

Counting polar bears is an unusually expensive thing, for which in some cases there is not enough money even for specialists in richer countries. Western countries. To count one population in the Russian Arctic, a minimum of $10-15 million is required, and in total it is necessary to estimate the size of four populations. Sometimes, however, Norwegian researchers help us a little, covering part of the Russian territory when conducting their censuses.

Any living organism, especially one so original and unique, has a certain value. Each species plays its role in the ecosystem, that is, it is important for its proper functioning. The loss of species is especially painful for the Arctic. In the tropics, for example, at every level of the ecosystem - at the level of plants that produce organic matter, at the level of herbivorous animals, at the level of predators that feed on herbivores - there are many different organisms. In the Arctic, the range of species at each level is extremely limited.

For Arctic marine ecosystems, the polar bear is practically the only large predator. If it is excluded from the ecosystem, unpredictable Negative consequences. On Far East For example, after a decline in the tiger population, outbreaks of deer and wild boars began, which eat up large amounts of plants and provoke forest degradation.

In addition, the polar bear is a beautiful, noble animal; it has become a living symbol of the Arctic. To emphasize the cultural and symbolic value of the polar bear, WWF included it in the list of Flagship species - “flag”, especially recognizable animals. It will be very sad if we lose this species forever.

How can I personally help a polar bear?

To help a polar bear, you don’t have to leave your business and family and go to the Arctic. You can help him, for example, by saving electricity, water, handing over waste paper and taking care of natural resources. By saving electricity and water, we reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which means we help stop climate change and the melting of ice in the Arctic. You can also save the polar bear by doing donation for its protection: to support the Bear Patrols, the creation of specially protected natural areas and peace zones in the Arctic. You can receive a cute felt bear as a gift (for a contribution of 2,500 rubles or more) or “adopt” a polar bear (for a contribution of 30,000 rubles). All funds raised go to WWF's Arctic program, within which we preserve this species.

If you live near the habitats of polar bears, it is worth knowing and following the rules of behavior when meeting an animal, both for your own safety and in order not to put the animal in a risky position.

State of the polar bear population

What impacts the polar bear population the most?

Like any population, it is primarily affected by the availability and accessibility of food. The main prey of polar bears is seals. Bears have adapted to hunting seals from the ice. Therefore, the key condition for ensuring that the normal way of life of bears is not disrupted is the presence of ice in the seas where seals live. Due to climate change, the area is large summer ice is catastrophically reduced, and in summer huge expanses of open water are formed. When afloat, the bear cannot catch anyone. It is not very beneficial for him to follow the ice closer to the pole - most seals live in coastal areas. The bear often remains on the shore, where it is extremely difficult for him to hunt. At this time, he either tries to catch walrus cubs, or eats carrion, or approaches human settlements to beg in garbage dumps.

The number of bears is also negatively affected by poaching, the scale of which is quite difficult to assess. In Chukotka, about several dozen bears are probably hunted illegally every year (maximum two to three hundred). Since the number of polar bears around the world ranges from 22-31 thousand, this factor for this population may be critical.

Finally, pollution of habitats by harmful pollutants also plays a role. organic compounds, heavy metals. Hazardous substances accumulate in bear meat and fat. Although Russian research recent years showed that the situation with pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms specifically for the polar bear is not so bad. Brown and Himalayan bears are more exposed to these threats. And Russian polar bear populations turned out to be even more “ecologically friendly” than Canadian ones.

Is it true that many bears are now drowning due to melting ice?

This is clearly not a factor that significantly reduces their numbers. The polar bear is an excellent swimmer, capable of spending many hours in a row in the water. Of course, bear cubs can drown during particularly long swims, but it is unrealistic to count how many of them drown. This doesn't happen often. In general, a bear can swim hundreds of kilometers in some cases, but such travel is not the norm for it.

How would it be possible to monitor a polar bear? Has monitoring been carried out before and how?

A complete census of the entire Russian Arctic has never been carried out. The most complete data was collected in the Soviet Union, but it is already outdated. In Russia, the number of bears is periodically counted, dens are counted, samples are taken to assess the physiological state of animals, but good system monitoring, that is, constant control throughout the entire range of the species, this does not work. We have prepared a similar monitoring program for the Russian Arctic, but there is no funding for its implementation (see the section WWF and polar bears, the question “What is there not enough funding for?”).

Local census on Franz Josef Land was carried out 4 years ago with the participation of Norwegian scientists. In the 80-90s of the last century, systematic surveys of dens were carried out on the Chukotka coast, in the nature reserve on Wrangel Island, but then this work was no longer carried out regularly.

To collect scattered information, it is possible to attract volunteer observers from among local residents, which is what we are doing as part of the Bear Patrol project. The data they collect helps provide some insight into the bear population.

How do you distinguish one polar bear from another without recording the same polar bear twice?

When specialists conduct observations in an area inhabited by a more or less constant number of bears, over time they begin to distinguish one individual from another “by eye”, based on individual characteristics. During large-scale studies, bears are marked with radio collars and a whole range of other marks - on the ear, on the inner surface of the lips. If the bear is recaptured by scientists or killed, it will be possible to determine when and where it was last seen.

At what rate is the polar bear dying out as a species and when might it become extinct completely?

It is still premature to talk about the extinction of the polar bear. If the ice disappears in the Arctic, there is a high probability that the bear will become extinct. Although, for example, on the shores of Hudson Bay there has long been a curious population that has learned to do without summer ice. Bears build dens under the trees there.

For now, most likely, there is a certain reduction in numbers, which is difficult to assess due to the lack of accurate data.

Are there more polar bears in Canada than in Russia? Where is the situation with polar bears better?

There are slightly more bears in Canada than in Russia. In Canada and Greenland, a somewhat more comfortable environment for the species has developed, since there are many islands separated by small straits with a lot of ice, where bears can move freely. Judging by climate forecasts, it is in this region that the species will survive the longest. Therefore, Canada and Greenland are making joint efforts to create a conservation area called the Last Ice Area.

At the same time, it is in Canada that sport hunting of polar bears is practiced. It also provides quotas for the indigenous population to hunt bears as part of traditional fishing. Local residents, in turn, have the right to sell their quotas to visiting hunters.

Which country is most concerned about polar bears? Which country is the most decisive in terms of taking real action on this issue?

Decisiveness in action is a relative concept here. In Norway, for example, hunting polar bears is completely prohibited. But in this country there is no indigenous population engaged in traditional crafts. In Canada and Greenland the situation is different; they cannot completely ban hunting by local peoples, although they are also concerned about the situation of the species.

Perhaps the most decisive are the actions of the United States, where in Alaska in the 80s they first introduced a quota for the shooting of bears for the indigenous population. This marked the first precedent in the history of the United States when hunting restrictions were imposed on local residents. Then the quota was about 120 - 140 animals. Now its size is 58 animals.

Poaching and other threats

How do poachers kill polar bears? With a gun or setting traps?

They shoot from guns.

Who helps orphaned polar bears? Is it possible to release them later?

As a rule, there is no need to release orphaned bear cubs into the wild: the cubs disperse well to zoos. This cannot be done after being kept in captivity. In the reserve on the island. Wrangel once released a bear cub, which spent some time with people. In the evening of the same day, he returned to the village, where everyone fed him. And then he grew into a healthy animal who walked around the neighborhood and did not let anyone pass without a can of condensed milk or a pack of cookies.

It was necessary to carry treats with you and, if the bear suddenly approached, to give him a “bribe.” A little bear cub is very funny, but when a huge animal comes up to people and tries to hug them, it’s not fun at all.

Who and how is helping wounded polar bears now? Who treats them and where?

They are treated, perhaps, only in zoos. If someone picks up a sick or injured bear cub, they will most likely send it to the nearest zoo. The task of saving a bear injured in the wild is incredibly difficult.

What to do if you find the skin of a polar bear?

Contact the organization TRAFFIC, which monitors the illegal trade in organisms and their derivatives.

What needs to change so that poachers are caught, jailed and punished with heavy fines? Or do we need to catch their “patrons” and customers?

Of course, tougher penalties would not be out of place. Fines for poaching are now really low. But when there are not enough resources to catch poachers, such measures do not guarantee results. Introduced in China the death penalty for shooting tigers, but this does not always stop people.

What needs to be done to reduce poaching to a minimum?

It is believed that in order to combat commercial poaching, it is necessary to create insurmountable obstacles to the export and trade of skins. This is very difficult: skins, as a rule, are exported on ships, and it can be almost impossible to inspect an entire ship in search of a skin.

In Canada and Alaska, it is possible to cope with poaching through a certain compromise with the indigenous people. They are given quotas to shoot a certain number of polar bears. At the same time, in Alaska, representatives of local peoples have the right to use hunting products only for their own purposes. They do not have the right to sell the harvested bear skin or even give it to anyone who does not belong to the indigenous population.

Who is fighting poachers now? Arctic territories Russia?

There is practically no effective control. As a rule, control is provided by one inspector per area, the area of ​​which is sometimes comparable to the area of ​​a European state.

How many bears are shot for their skins, and how many for meat in general?

It would be more correct to put the question this way: how much is mined for their own use, and how much is just to sell the skin. According to our data for Chukotka, it turns out that in eastern Chukotka about 15% of bears are hunted for the sale of skins. And for meat - more than 70%. In this case, the skin can also be used on the farm, but is often thrown away altogether, so that, so to speak, no evidence remains.

In the country as a whole, the numbers are likely to be different; the share of animals hunted for skins will be higher, since the further to the west, the fewer lovers of bear meat.

Why do poachers want polar bears?

Many Chukchi shoot a bear just to eat it. This is the main motivation in about 75% of cases. The skin is of secondary importance. In the past it was used as a covering for sleds or for making pants. Now this is no longer relevant. Moreover, most bears are shot in Chukotka. In the western Arctic, if hunting is carried out, it is primarily for the sake of skins for sale.

Are polar bears threatened by oil production in the Arctic? If so, how?

Threatened, first of all, due to pollution, due to the impact on the food supply, and also due to the fact that it creates a disturbance factor. Of course, if a polar bear gets dirty in oil, it is unlikely to die immediately like birds, although it will have a very hard time. But the main thing is that if oil pollution kills the fish and leads to the disappearance of the seals, the bear will be left without food.

Polar bear lunch

Can a polar bear fish?

He is almost not adapted to this. Can only catch fish by accident. Fish is of little interest to him, but if the bear is hungry, he will eat everything.

What does a polar bear eat? Tell me, does a polar bear eat anything other than meat?

If the food supply is really bad, the bear will even try to eat herbaceous plants or kelp algae. But this is far from the norm for him; rather, it’s just a way to somehow fill his stomach.

By the way, if the food supply is good, then the bear will not eat meat either, but will only consume the fat of the caught seal. Especially in winter period when digesting meat is not very beneficial from an energy point of view: for digestion meat food it takes so much energy that it’s easier for the bear to go and get another seal.

What is considered a delicacy among polar bears?

Hardly anyone discussed such issues with them. But, most likely, seals are considered a delicacy among bears. Including their already decomposed corpses, which the beast also eats with great pleasure.

What animals does a polar bear eat?

He himself catches mainly seals. As a rule, a bear cannot catch large walruses, not to mention whales, although he still sometimes catches small walruses. It is too difficult for him to hunt land animals. But if a bear comes across the carcass of a dead walrus, whale, deer, or arctic fox, then he will willingly eat it. It can also eat human corpses, for example, if it kills someone by accident. If a person becomes saturated with the smell of a seal (this often happens with Chukchi hunters), the bear may mistakenly attack and eat him.

The bear feeds on common animals that are not endangered. The same animals are regularly hunted by humans.

Polar bear and man

Does a polar bear distinguish between good and evil people, poachers from forest rangers? Or maybe we all look the same to them?

It is unlikely that bears are so well-versed in psychology that they can immediately distinguish good people from the evil ones. But they are curious animals with certain rudiments of intelligence. If they live in the same place and see the same people, then over time they begin to distinguish them.

Will a bear attack a person if he approaches him carefully and does not have a gun or some other object for protection?

Depends on the specific situation. As a rule, no. But it should be borne in mind that if a bear, for example, is eating something, and at that time a person with the best intentions approaches him, then the bear can easily attack: he will decide that they are trying to take away his food. If a person appears in front of a bear unexpectedly, from around a corner, the animal can kill or injure a person from fright, without having time to assess whether he poses a real threat.

What to do when meeting a polar bear? Should I run away or, on the contrary, freeze and stand still? How do you become a member of an expedition if you meet a polar bear “nose to nose”?

There is no need to run away under any circumstances. You should not make sudden movements, you need to behave calmly. If there is still room for maneuver, then it is better to slowly move out of the way of the animal to the side. If the animal is already very close, then it is better to stand. Experienced people sometimes hiss at a bear - they emit a certain bear signal, a specific hiss, which males use to warn their relatives. But such hissing must first be learned. In extreme cases, it is useful to have a large stick with you so that you can put it in front of you and try to hit the animal on the nose with it. This also drives away the bear in some cases.

Is it possible to tame a polar bear if you start from childhood so that it becomes friends with a person? Or is he too wild animal, which cannot be completely trusted, but only trained and kept in a cage?

Theoretically, it might be possible, but it’s hardly worth doing. There is more than one known case when wild animals, which were kept and raised as tame animals for many years, eventually attacked and killed people. A famous example is the lion King II, which was kept by the Berberov family.

The polar bear is also a very large animal. If he is good friends with a person and suddenly decides to just play, then this will end badly for the person, even if the bear does not have the slightest aggressive intentions.

What is being done to protect people from polar bears?

It is necessary that in populated areas there be as little as possible garbage dumps and food waste that is easily accessible to the bear, which, first of all, attracts the animal. Waste from hunting and cutting of carcasses should be disposed of as far as possible from human habitations. The cleaner the village is, the lower the likelihood of encountering a bear.

Moving in places where there is a risk of a bear must be done with caution. The presence of a bear can be monitored by the behavior of dogs: if they become quiet, stop barking, or hide, it means that there is an animal walking somewhere nearby.

How do Chukotka residents feel about polar bears?

Positively, like a good gourmet product. Along with their main food - seal, whale, and deer meat, indigenous peoples traditionally consumed polar bear meat. But, in fact, for indigenous peoples the bear is a rather sacred animal, and not everything is so simple with it. In the past, after killing an animal, it was necessary to please and appease its spirit in every possible way, which used to take several days. This was the traditional mechanism for regulating production. Until all the rituals have been completed, the next animal cannot be hunted.

Since 1956, polar bear hunting has been prohibited in Russia, so hunting it, including by local residents, is illegal. Today, many residents of Chukotka, seeing the decline in the number of this majestic beast, actively help WWF fight poachers and protect it.

I once saw a photograph of border guards feeding a polar bear with condensed milk. What does a bear think when they see a person? Are polar bears generally curious?

Bears are very curious and, when they see something incomprehensible, they often try to come closer. It all depends on the individual experience of the animal. If the animal has already encountered a person, been scared, chased, or shot at, then most likely it will eventually turn around and run away. If a person has never done anything bad to him before, the bear will not be afraid. If people fed it, of course, the bear will happily approach them.

What the bear thinks about this is unknown. As for feeding with condensed milk - yes, this happens. Then these fed bears have to be killed. Over time, animals get used to it, become impudent, and begin not just to beg for a treat, but to demand it. Not everyone among people is able to react correctly to their actions. When a polar bear gallops towards you, it is difficult to suspect friendly intentions, although the animal may just be counting on a treat. As a result, incidents happen with the most tragic outcome - both for people and animals.

Do bears feel comfortable in the zoo? Do you think this is humane? How do polar bears live in zoos if they need cold?

They try to create comfortable conditions for polar bears in enclosures: they fill a pool with cool water and throw in snow. World experience shows that polar bears feel quite comfortable in zoos, at least in temperate latitudes, although they are, of course, hot in the summer. But brown bears can also be uncomfortable in captivity in the summer.

Polar Bear House

WWF doesn't want to breed polar bears in other regions of Russia - for example, in Kamchatka or the Barents Sea?

In the Barents Sea - on the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land - bears already live, these territories are part of their natural range. As for Kamchatka, it is unclear for what purpose to breed them there and how to do it. The polar bear's problem is the reduction of ice, but there is certainly no more ice in Kamchatka than on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

Are there any excursions to nature reserves where you can see polar bears in the wild?

Eat. From time to time, Western companies offer exciting cruises, including New Earth and Franz Josef Land. You can also come to Spitsbergen, and theoretically to Wrangel Island, although cruises there are extremely rare. In any case, all these trips are extremely expensive.

Can a polar bear live near a city? How much space does one polar bear need?

How much space a bear needs depends on the availability and accessibility of food. In the Arctic, food resources for bears are, as a rule, dispersed over large areas, and the animal makes long journeys: from the island. Wrangel - to Alaska, from there - south through the Bering Strait, then back to the north, etc. This is their normal life regime.

Polar bears also live near cities, for example in Chukotka. Biggest Russian city within their range - Pevek (Chukotka).

Is it possible to relocate a polar bear to Antarctica and penguins to the Arctic? Have there been such attempts?

No, there have been no such attempts, and, apparently, there will not be any. It is unlikely that they could bring anything good. The meaning of such relocations is not particularly clear, although purely theoretically they may be possible.

General questions about polar bears

How many bear cubs survive and how many die in nature?

The mortality rate among cubs in the first year of life is at least 30%. It may increase due to the anxiety of bears caused by human activity, due to the need to overcome long distances by swimming due to the reduction in ice area (such swims are dangerous especially for small bear cubs with an insufficiently developed layer of subcutaneous fat).

The reduction in the area of ​​summer ice is generally very unfavorable for polar bear breeding. Mother bears leave the ice in the fall to reach certain areas on the shore and lie down in a den. But due to climate change, they have to travel ever greater distances. As a result, some female bears either lie down in their dens exhausted, or do not have time to get to the den sites in time. This greatly reduces the offspring's chances of survival.

Due to climate change, the likelihood of spring rains, which can damage the den, is also increasing. This is very dangerous for small bear cubs.

How fast can a polar bear run? What about swimming?

Swims at a speed of 4-5 km/hour, walks about 10 km/hour. He can run 40 km/h, but he gets tired quickly.

How quickly do polar bears reproduce? How long does a bear's pregnancy last and how does it proceed? How and for how long does she care for the cubs?

On average, bears breed once every three years. Pregnancy lasts about six months. The female bear goes to the den where the birth takes place around November and spends there without going out for at least 3 months. At this time, she lives only thanks to fat reserves.

Newborns are helpless and weigh about 600 g. As a rule, a female gives birth to one to three cubs. In the 1970s, on Wrangel Island, scientists calculated: litters with two cubs amounted to 70.3%, with one - 25.5%, with three - 4.2%. During her life, the female brings no more than 8-12 cubs.

Mother bears with cubs emerge from their dens from the end of February to the end of April. The cubs walk with their mother for about 2.5-3 years, then they begin to live independently. Mating in polar bears occurs from April to early June. If the cubs die within two months of leaving the den, the female bear has a chance to become pregnant again in the same season.

Can polar bears climb trees?

Probably not.

Why is a polar bear sometimes yellow?

In fact, yellowish color- natural coloring of a polar bear. Young cubs can be snow-white, but adult animals are normally yellowish, with a slightly lemony tint. Also, the color of the coat can be influenced by the composition of the animal's food.

By the way, due to the structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes (in hot, humid climates, for example, in zoos) acquire a greenish tint. A polar bear's hairs are hollow inside and can harbor microscopic algae.

Probably, polar bears, like all furry animals, shed a couple of times a year, changing their summer coat to a winter one and vice versa in the spring. Are polar bears different in color in summer and winter?

The polar bear is always among the snow, swimming in cold water. Therefore, although he sheds, his fur does not undergo significant changes over the seasons. Shedding occurs gradually over a long period of time.

How do polar bears communicate with each other? Sounds? Gestures?

Polar bears in general communicate little with each other; they normally lead a solitary lifestyle. But when they do interact with each other, they do so through voice, gestures and touch.

What diseases does a polar bear suffer from?

The most dangerous and common disease is trichinosis.

Why do polar bears have black skin? I've heard that they're not really white, they just seem that way.

The polar bear has yellowish translucent fur. Its hairs transmit solar light radiation to the skin and delay thermal radiation from the skin during external environment. Dark (highly pigmented) skin helps absorb solar energy more efficiently. It turns out that the skin of a polar bear works like a greenhouse to prevent the animal from freezing.

What is the life expectancy of a polar bear?

In nature, 25-30 years, in captivity up to 40 or a little more.

How many teeth do polar bears have?

What is the weight of the largest and smallest polar bears?

Female polar bears weigh 200-300 kg, males - up to 400-500 kg. There are known cases when the weight of a male was 800 kg.

What is the relationship between a female and male polar bear after the birth of a cub?

The female and male separate before the baby appears. In the future, they try not to intersect, since adult males willingly snack on small cubs.

What is the difference in character between a polar bear and a brown bear?

The brown bear is an exclusively terrestrial species. It does not specialize in any particular type of food, large quantities consumes plant foods - berries, nuts. The polar bear is a much more specialized animal, almost entirely marine, semi-aquatic, focused mainly on predation. In terms of aggressiveness, a polar bear is, as a rule, somewhat calmer than a brown bear.

How are Russian, American and Norwegian polar bears different?

Scientists have identified more than 20 local populations of polar bears. On the territory of Russia, according to the Red Book of the Russian Federation, there are three of them: Barents Sea-Kara, Laptev and Chukotka-Alaska. Representatives of different populations differ from each other in various subtleties in morphology and genetics. For example, bears from the Chukchi-Alaskan population are larger than those from the Barents Sea.

Radio collars, once ordered by domestic researchers based on measurements taken in Chukotka, turned out to be too big for bears in Franz Josef Land.

However, there are no fundamental, global differences between bears in different parts no habitat.

What does "Umka" mean?

“Umky” means “polar bear” in Chukchi. In Eskimo it is called “nanuk”.

The Gobi brown bear is also called the mazalay. This animal is a subspecies of the brown bear and lives in the Mongolian Gobi Desert.

Mazalai are perhaps the only bears that can be found only in Mongolia. Nowhere else, in any zoo in the world, will you see this species of clubfoot. IN International Fund Wildlife Protection Agency published the results of registration of all bears - there are 56 subspecies. However, the Gobi brown was not included in this list.

Description of the Gobi bear

Gobi bears have relatively small sizes. Their coarse, sparse fur is colored in light brown or whitish-bluish tones.

The chest, shoulder parts of the body and throat are “threaded” with a white stripe. The bear's claws are light. The second and third toes on the hind legs are fused by almost a third. In the summer, Mazalai males have brown fur, and in the winter they acquire a brown-gray color. Their legs and neck are darker than their body.

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of Mazalai

For the winter, Mazaalai settle in caves or make dens under trees. In summer, they can be more often seen near the water, where there are many plants that are part of the bear’s diet. In addition, Gobi bears enjoy rhubarb roots, berries, wild onions and other plants that can be found in the desert. Sometimes clubfoots feed on carrion, rodents, birds, lizards or insects. Unlike other bears, Mazaalai are primarily herbivores.

After mating, the female cruelly breaks up with the male, driving him out of her territory. Every two years, a mother bear gives birth to a pair of cubs. Each weighs approximately 500 grams. In harsh times, it was noticed that the female sacrificed one of the cubs for the sake of survival.

Conservation of Gobi brown bears

Mazaalai was listed as an endangered animal species, since the number of these bears is very low, and this fact was noted in the national “Red Book”. Researchers were not too lazy to count the number of Mazalai in the territory of the “Great Gobi” and reported that there were no more than 30 bears left.

The number of Gobi clubfoot has decreased so much that it is time to sound the alarm not only at the national but also at the global level.

Limited by insufficient funding and extreme conditions in the Gobi Desert, Mazalai bears cannot be adequately studied by specialists, and as a result, a plan for developing their conservation activities has not been drawn up. However, thanks to the creation of a supplementary food supply program initiated by the government in the 1980s, it is playing an important role in preserving the tiny population of Gobi bears.

A group of scientists and staff of the reserve carries out monitoring, observing the behavior of the Mazalai in their natural habitat, directly in the spring, when the bears emerge from hibernation. During this period, animals need food. Food is left in special feeders until new vegetation grows. It is thanks to such data collection points in the form of feeders that it is possible to install remote-controlled cameras and study the behavior of the Mazalai.

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BROWN BEAR A male brown bear can reach a length of 2.5 m and a body weight of up to 500-750 kg. In appearance, the brown bear is clumsy, although in reality it is very agile and dexterous: it can run fast, make big jumps, climb trees, and swim. He moves like a pacer, that is, he alternately steps on both right paws and then on his left paws. Leaning on the entire foot, it can rear up, stretching to a height of up to 3 m. A brown bear runs faster uphill than on level ground, since hind legs his front ones are longer. He walks through the forest carefully and almost silently. Unlike the polar bear, it avoids diving and plunges into the water, leaving its head outside. In quiet times, he walks slowly, placing his feet slightly inward, justifying popular name"clubfooted." Another name “honey-witch” is due to the fact that this animal loves honey very much and knows (knows) where to look for it. Behind him, he climbs tall trees into hollows with honeycombs of wild bees, and often raids apiaries. According to his lifestyle, the brown bear is a crepuscular animal. During the day it hides in remote places of the taiga and only in the evening comes out in search of food. The forest provides him with abundant and varied food. At the beginning of summer, it eats young shoots, roots, bulbs, and later mushrooms, berries, acorns, and nuts. In the fall, it enters fields with oats or corn, where it causes more damage by crushing the ears and stems of plants. In the Caucasus, it visits groves of wild fruit trees, willingly eating pears and cherry plums; V Central Asia eats pistachios, grapes, apricots, going out to their plantations. Sometimes it goes to the outskirts of large orchards, shaking apples and pears with ripe fruits. In the forest, it unravels ant heaps, peels off the bark from old stumps, hunting for bark beetles and other insects. Along the way, it eats eggs and chicks from nests on the ground, catches small rodents and frogs. During the course of fish in taiga rivers (in Kamchatka and the Far East), he catches it off the coast and eats it in large quantities. On occasion, it attacks moose, wild boar, reindeer, cows and horses. Often feeds on carrion. With the onset of warm weather (in July), midges begin to rage in the taiga. Many mosquitoes, midges and other bloodsuckers cause severe suffering to animals. At this time, the bears cannot find a place for themselves because of the bites, they roll on the ground, scratch their faces with their paws until they bleed, and roar. Some go into the tundra, reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where the wind saves them from mosquitoes. By autumn, bears become fat, accumulating in their bodies nutrients for the period of winter lack of food. Dens are made somewhere in a dry place, in a depression under a windbreak, an upturned stump with roots, in a rock crevice, etc. Males lie in a den separately from females. If in the summer a bear was poorly fed and not fat enough, then it wanders in search of food in the winter, becoming dangerous for large herbivores and even for humans. These are the so-called connecting rods. Most bears in a den fall into a state of winter sleep, without the need for food or drink. However, there is a widespread belief that bears, when in a den without food, suck their paws in order to extract nutritious juices from them and satisfy their hunger. In reality this is a misunderstanding, there is a different reason here. In bears, around February, old skin that has become rough over the summer peels off from the surface of the soles. The young, tender skin on the paws itches and freezes, so the bear licks the soles with a hot tongue, smacking his lips. That is why from the outside it seems that the bear is sucking its paw. In January - February, a female bear gives birth to 2-3 tiny cubs weighing about 0.5 kg each. They are blind, naked, helpless and in need of maternal care. The bear keeps the cubs warm on her belly among the fur, warming them with her hot breath. She feeds the cubs with thick milk, which she produces from fat reserves accumulated over the summer. With the onset of warmth, the grown-up cubs leave the den along with the mother bear and, under her supervision, bask in the sun and are fed with what can be found in the forest at that time (berries, tubers, worms, insects, etc.). The male bear stays away from the mother bear and does not take part in caring for the cubs, which cause the mother a lot of trouble. Having gained strength, they become active: they run, fight, fight, climb tree trunks, and frolic. The mother bathes the cubs in streams and lakes, lowering each one in turn into the water on the shallows, after first grabbing the scruff of the neck with her teeth. Later they bathe themselves. Sometimes a she-bear keeps with her a cub from last year's litter, which becomes her assistant in raising the babies. This is the so-called pestun. He serves as a role model for the growing cubs. From him they learn to climb hollows for wild bees' honey, rake ant heaps and feast on ants and their larvae. If fights between cubs become violent, the pestun separates the mischief-makers and restores order. After spending the entire summer with the cubs, the she-bear lies down in a den with them in the fall, and the next year drives them away from her, starting a new breeding, which occurs only once every two years. Bears are afraid of humans and, sensing his scent, go into the deep thicket. Cases of attacks on humans are very rare. Brown bears have few enemies: sometimes they are wolves, in the Far East - tigers, but for them bears are strong opponents. Brown bears live 35-50 years. In the past, these animals were ordinary inhabitants of the forest zone, but as a result of intensive logging, plowing of fields and excessive hunting of bears in Russia, a little more than 100 thousand animals survived. They hunt bears mainly for delicious meat, healing, vitamin-rich fat and warm, although very heavy, skin, which is valued relatively cheaply. The protection of some subspecies of brown bears has become necessary.