Preservation of the polar bear population is one of the most important tasks for Russia in the Arctic. Brown bear (common) How fast can a polar bear run? And swim

Days in the northern hemisphere are getting longer and warmer. Of course, people rejoice in the coming heat. However, the same cannot be said for polar bears. Animals feel great at temperatures of -45 degrees and below. But from overheating they experience discomfort. In addition, an increase in average temperatures creates the prerequisites 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 out. Sometimes, when he is especially hungry, he feeds on rodents, moss and berries.

The reduction in the area of ​​ice cover in the Arctic seas and the change in the age structure of sea ice are forcing polar bears to spend more time on the coast and on the islands. Staying on the coast for a long time, polar bears are deprived of access to their main prey - 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 keep this view? And if they should, then why? Let's figure it out.

So, how many white bears are left? NO! Their number is extremely small. And it continues to decline, despite the protection of the animal and the ban on its prey. 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 is already 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 live, and not in photographs. If the polar bear disappears, the ecosystem of the Arctic will also be under threat. As we already know, the diet of the polar bear is a variety of marine animals, mostly pinnipeds. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that the population of these species will increase dramatically after the disappearance of their main enemy. But the number of fish living in the waters of the Arctic Ocean may be reduced, as there will be many times more marine predators, which means that they will need more food. And this will be a huge problem, both for animals and for people.

On the other hand, polar bears provide food for small predators 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 rest of the prey is usually eaten by Arctic foxes. This means that without the help of minds, 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, hunting for a polar bear has been completely prohibited since 1957; this species is listed in the Red Book. Other Arctic countries started introducing hunting restrictions much later.

Since 2010, the Russian Geographical Society has been supporting 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 (discarded 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 in the world. So, in the United States, to this day, to study polar bears, a tusk is pulled out from a euthanized animal. What then is a predator to live without tools for hunting?

The Russian Geographical Society is constantly expanding the range of studies of the polar bear: at first it was the Barents Sea population, in 2013 the first aviation census of the Chukotka-Alaska population was carried out, and in 2014 work began on the coast of Taimyr.

The work is carried out in cooperation with the Council for Marine Mammals, the National Park "Russian Arctic", "Reserves of Taimyr", as well as the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A.N. 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 the joint study of polar bears in Chukotka and Alaska in the period 2016-2018.

Thus, for many years Russia has been taking care of the preservation of the population of the northern predator. We understand that to save polar bears means to save the ecosystem of the Arctic, and, consequently, the ecosystem of the Earth.

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

The Gobi brown bear is also called a mazalai. 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 on the territory of Mongolia. Nowhere else, in any zoo in the world, you will not see this species of clubfoot. The results of the registration of all bears were published in the International Fund for the Protection of Wild Animals - there are 56 subspecies of them. However, the Gobi Brown was not included in this list.

Description of the gobi bear

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

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

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of the Mazalays

For wintering, 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 like rhubarb roots, berries, wild onions and other plants that can be found in the desert. Sometimes clubfoot feed on carrion, rodents, birds, lizards or insects. Unlike other bears, Mazaalai are predominantly herbivores.

After mating, the female severely 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.

Protecting Gobi brown bears

Mazaalai was listed as an endangered species of animals, since the number of these bears is very low, and this fact was noted in the national Red Book. The researchers were not too lazy to count the number of Mazalays on the territory of the “Great Gobi” and reported that no more than 30 bears remained.

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, the mazalai bears cannot be adequately researched 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 prey program initiated by the government in the 80s, it plays an important role in preserving the tiny population of gobi bears.

A group of scientists and employees of the reserve carries out monitoring, observing the behavior of the mazalais in their natural habitat, directly in the spring, when the bears come out of 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 Mazalays.

The Gobi brown bear is also called a mazalai. 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 on the territory of Mongolia. Nowhere else, in any zoo in the world, you will not see this species of clubfoot. The results of the registration of all bears were published in the International Fund for the Protection of Wild Animals - there are 56 subspecies of them. However, the Gobi Brown was not included in this list.

Description of the gobi bear

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

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

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of the Mazalays

For wintering, 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 like rhubarb roots, berries, wild onions and other plants that can be found in the desert. Sometimes clubfoot feed on carrion, rodents, birds, lizards or insects. Unlike other bears, Mazaalai are predominantly herbivores.

After mating, the female severely 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.

Protecting Gobi brown bears

Mazaalai was listed as an endangered species of animals, since the number of these bears is very low, and this fact was noted in the national Red Book. The researchers were not too lazy to count the number of Mazalays on the territory of the “Great Gobi” and reported that no more than 30 bears remained.

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, the mazalai bears cannot be adequately researched 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 prey program initiated by the government in the 80s, it plays an important role in preserving the tiny population of gobi bears.

A group of scientists and employees of the reserve carries out monitoring, observing the behavior of the mazalais in their natural habitat, directly in the spring, when the bears come out of 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 Mazalays.

“A bear with a clubfoot walks through the forest, collects cones, sings a song ...” The brown bear is often mentioned in fairy tales, and in sayings, and in children's songs. In folklore, he appears in the image of a kind, awkward lump, strong and simple-hearted.

It appears in a different light in heraldry: the image adorns many coats of arms and national flags. Here he is a symbol of strength, ferocity and power. “The master of the taiga” is how the Siberians call him. And in this they are right. Brown bear- one of the largest land predators, an intelligent and merciless hunter.

Features and habitat of the brown bear

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) belongs to the bear family and is second in size only to its Arctic counterpart. Description of the brown bear we must start with its unprecedented growth.

The largest brown bears live in the Alaska region and are called Kodiaks. Their length reaches 2.8 m, the height at the withers is up to 1.6 m, the mass of clubfoot giants can exceed 750 kg. Most big brown bear, caught for the Berlin Zoological Park, weighed 1134 kg.

Our Kamchatka bears practically do not differ from them in size. The average length of a brown bear ranges from 1.3-2.5 m, weight - 200-450 kg. As a rule, males are 1.5 times more powerful and heavier than females.

The body of the forest hero is covered with thick dense wool, which protects him from annoying in the summer heat, and from the cold in the autumn-spring period.

The wool cover consists of short fluffy villi to keep warm and longer ones to keep moisture out. Hair grows in such a way that in rainy weather drops roll off the wool, almost without wetting it.

Color - all shades of brown. Bears of different climatic zones differ: in some, the coat is golden-yellow, while in others it is close to black.

Dwelling in the Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains, they are distinguished by light tips of hair in the region of the back, the inhabitants of Syria are mostly reddish-brown. Our Russian bears are mostly brown in color.

Bears molt once a year: it begins in the spring during the rut, ends before winter. The autumn molt passes sluggishly and imperceptibly, the fur is completely replaced shortly before entering the den.

At brown bears in the photo the protruding hump is clearly visible - this is a mountain of muscles in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe withers, which allows animals to dig the ground with ease. It is the musculature of the upper back that gives the bear a huge impact force.

The head is heavy, large, with a well-defined forehead and a depression in the region of the bridge of the nose. In brown bears, it is not as strongly elongated as in polar bears. The ears are small, as are the deep-set eyes. The mouth of the beast is equipped with 40 teeth, fangs and incisors are large, the rest are smaller (vegetarian).

The power of a brown bear bite is monstrous. The special structure of the skull, the so-called sagittal crest, provides more space for the development and attachment of the jaw muscles. Four bear fangs bite with a force of 81 atmospheres and are able to tear off huge chunks of flesh.

Paws are powerful and impressive. Each has 5 fingers and huge claws (up to 10 cm), which the bear cannot retract. The feet are covered with thick and rough skin, usually dark brown.

The claws are not intended for hunting, with them the bear digs up the roots, tubers, bulbs included in its diet. In addition to humans, they can only walk straight, leaning on their hind limbs.

The peculiar gait, mentioned in more than a dozen fairy tales, is explained by the fact that when walking, the bear steps alternately on both left paws, then on both right ones, and it seems that it rolls over from side to side.

Of all the senses, the bear's weakest sense is sight, hearing is better, but the sense of smell is excellent (100 times better than a human's). able to smell honey 8 km from the hive and hear the buzz of a bee swarm 5 km away.

Territories, where does the brown bear live are huge. They inhabit almost all of Eurasia and North America, excluding the southern regions. Everywhere these animals are considered quite rare, there are large populations in the northern states of the United States, in Canada, and of course, in Siberia and the Far East.

Brown bear is an animal the woods. They prefer impassable thickets of taiga forests with peat swampy areas and small streams. In rocky areas, clubfoot live under the canopy of mixed forests, near gorges and mountain streams.

Depending on the habitat, scientists distinguish several subspecies of the brown bear, which differ by and large only in size and color. Not everyone knows that the grizzly is not a separate species, but only a variant of the brown that lives in the vastness of North America.

What is characteristic, the closer to the pole, the brown bears are larger. This is easily explained - in harsh conditions, it is easier for massive animals to keep warm.

The nature and lifestyle of the brown bear

Brown bears are territorial loners. The lands of a male can be up to 400 km², while females with offspring have 7 times less. Each bear marks the boundaries of his possessions with odor marks and scratches on tree trunks. Animals lead a sedentary life, wandering only in the direction of areas with more accessible and plentiful food, or away from humans.

One of the characteristic features in the behavior of a bear is its assertiveness. Stubbornness is manifested both when obtaining a large amount of food, and for the sake of a piece of delicacy.

So, in late autumn, seeing a lonely hanging fruit on an apple tree, the bear will first try to reach out, then it will try to climb, and having failed on flexible branches, it will begin to shake the tree until it takes possession of the apple.

Another feature inherent in bears is an excellent memory. They are easy to train, especially at a young age, and incredibly intelligent. Many hunters note that bears who have previously seen the trap and its work throw large stones or sticks at it, and after neutralizing it, they eat the bait.

Bears are very curious, but they try to avoid encounters with humans. But if this happens, the behavior of the beast depends largely on when he noticed the person and who was there before.

He can watch people picking berries or mushrooms, and then appear in all his splendor, annoyed by someone's loud cry or laughter. After that, he usually makes a small but sharp leap forward, snorting in annoyance, but does not attack.

A minute later, the owner of the forest turns around and slowly leaves, looking back several times and stopping. A quick change of mood for bears is the norm.

Another example is when a bear meets a person by chance and suddenly, frightened, as a rule, empties its intestines. This is where the name "bear disease" came from.

It's no secret that brown bears hibernate. Before they settle down for the winter, they feed especially actively in order to accumulate enough fat. Brown bear weight in autumn sometimes it increases by 20%. Going to the place of the lair (a recess littered with windbreak or a secluded place under the roots of a fallen tree), the bear winds, confusing the tracks.

The bear stays in suspended animation for 2.5 to 6 months, depending on the habitat and climatic indicators. During sleep, body temperature stays at 34°C. Males and females, expecting offspring, sleep separately. She-bears with first-year cubs lie together. Paw sucking is typical only for babies.

Bear's dream is very sensitive. If you wake him up in the middle of winter, he will no longer be able to go back to sleep and will wander through the snowy forest, poor in food, angry and irritated.

The worst thing is to meet a connecting rod bear. Unlike other times, he will definitely attack. During the dormant period brown bear mass reduced by an average of 80 kg.

Brown bear food

Brown bears eat everything. In their diet there are various roots, berries, bulbs, young shoots of trees. The plant component is 75% of the diet of clubfoot.

They visit orchards, fields of corn, oats and other cereals. They catch insects: they ruin anthills. Brown bears on occasion hunt, small rodents, catch

Reproduction and life expectancy of a brown bear

Bears bring offspring with an interval of 2-4 years. Estrus begins in May and can last from 10 days to a month. Male bears during this period are characterized by a loud and booming roar and aggressive behavior. Fights between rivals are a frequent phenomenon and often end in the death of one of the bears.

The mother bear stays in a state of pregnancy for about 200 days. The development of embryos occurs only when it goes into hibernation. Bear cubs (usually 2-3) are born in a den in the middle of winter, deaf, blind and poorly furred. Only after 2 weeks they begin to hear, after a month - to see. The weight of a newborn is about 0.5 kg, length - 20-23 cm.

It's amazing how different the maternal instinct is while in the lair and after leaving. If the bear is awakened, she will leave her lair and unintelligent defenseless babies and will never return to this place.

The mother feeds the cubs for about 120 days, then they switch to plant foods. Nutritionally, bear milk is 4 times superior to cow milk. Often cubs from the past offspring take care of their younger brothers, look after them and try to protect them. About a brown bear, one can unequivocally say: there is no father from him.

By the age of 3, young bears are capable of sexual activity and finally say goodbye to their mother. They will grow for another 7-8 years. Life expectancy in the forest is about 30 years, in captivity - up to 50.

Brown bear in the Red Book listed as "threatened species". On the planet, among impassable forests, about 200 thousand individuals live, of which 120 thousand live on the territory of the Russian Federation.

In their class, brown bears are one of the most majestic and powerful animals, but like other representatives of the world fauna, they are completely defenseless against humans. Being the subject of hunting for the purpose of obtaining skins, meat and bile, they are mercilessly exterminated even today.

Are the authorities hindering or helping WWF protect polar bears?

The state protects the polar bear as a species listed in the List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (International Red Book) and in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The President's interest in the polar bear is improving the situation as many people are starting to pay more attention to the very task of preserving the species. Scientists who study polar bears receive additional funding, which means they have the opportunity to conduct new research, since this is an important government task. But the main thing that the state can do for the bear is to create an effective system for monitoring the abundance of the species, to fight poaching and the illegal trade in skins.

At the initiative of WWF, a Polar Bear Conservation Strategy was prepared and 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 the WWF managed to do something significant to save the polar bear?

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

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

It describes specific mechanisms that help save bear populations. It is indicated what legislative amendments need to be made, how to improve the system of protected natural areas, what scientific research to carry out, 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 in the field, and together with TRAFFIC monitors online advertisements for the sale of illegally obtained skins.

What is missing funding?

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

WWF could, with additional funding, support local inspectorates that prevent illegal hunting, give them money to buy equipment. Also, the funds would 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, it is possible to develop protective measures, make informed management decisions in different regions. This means that money is needed to study bear populations.

Accounting for polar bears is an extraordinarily expensive thing, which in some cases does not have enough money even for specialists in richer Western countries. A minimum of $10-15 million is required to account for one population in the Russian Arctic, and in total it is necessary to estimate the number of four populations. Sometimes, however, Norwegian researchers help us a little, covering part of the Russian territory during their surveys.

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

For the Arctic marine ecosystems, the polar bear is practically the only large predator. If it is excluded from the ecosystem, unpredictable negative consequences are likely to occur. In the Far East, for example, after the reduction of the tiger population, outbreaks of deer and wild boars began, which eat away a large number 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 has included it in the Flagship species list - "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, it is not necessary to leave 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, which means we help stop climate change and ice melt in the Arctic. You can also save a 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 get a cute felt bear cub as a gift (with a donation of 2,500 rubles or more) or “adopt” a polar bear (with a donation of 30,000 rubles or more). All funds raised go to the WWF Arctic Program, under which we conserve this species.

If you live near the habitats of polar bears, you should know and follow the rules of behavior when meeting with 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 influences the polar bear population the most?

As with any population, the availability and availability of food is primarily affected. The main prey of polar bears is seals. The bear has adapted to hunting seals from the ice. Therefore, the key condition for the normal lifestyle of bears not to be disturbed is the presence of ice in the seas where seals live. Due to climate change, the area of ​​multi-year ice is catastrophically reduced, in summer huge expanses of open water are formed. A bear cannot catch anyone afloat. It is not very profitable for him to follow the ice closer to the pole - most seals live in coastal areas. The bear often stays 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 the garbage heaps.

Poaching also negatively affects the number of bears, the scale of which is quite difficult to assess. In Chukotka, probably, about a few dozen bears are hunted illegally annually (maximum two to three hundred). Since the number of polar bears around the world is in the range of 22-31 thousand, this factor can be critical for this population.

Finally, the pollution of habitats with harmful organic compounds and heavy metals also plays a role. Hazardous substances accumulate in bear meat and fat. Although Russian studies of recent years have shown that the situation with pollutants and pathogens is far from being so bad for the polar bear. The brown and Himalayan bears are more exposed to these threats. And the Russian populations of the polar bear turned out to be even more “environmentally friendly” than the Canadian ones.

Is it true that now a lot of bears are drowning due to melting ice?

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

How would it be possible to monitor the polar bear? Has monitoring been done before and how?

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

A local count 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 counts of lairs were carried out on the Chukchi coast, in the reserve on Wrangel Island, then these works ceased to be carried out regularly.

To collect disparate information, it is possible to attract volunteer observers from among local residents, which 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 so as not to record one polar bear twice?

When specialists conduct observations in the territory where any more or less constant number of bears lives, then over time they begin to distinguish one individual from another “by eye”, according to 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 caught again 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 can it become extinct completely?

It is still premature to talk about the extinction of the polar bear. If the ice in the Arctic disappears, then there is a high probability that the bear will die out. 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.

So far, most likely, there is a certain decrease in the number, 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, there is a slightly more comfortable environment for the view, as there are many islands separated by small straits with a lot of ice, where bears can roam freely. Judging by climate forecasts, it is in this region that the species will last the longest. Therefore, Canada and Greenland are making joint efforts to create a conservation area under the conditional name Last Ice Area.

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

Which country is most concerned about the situation around polar bears? Which country is the most resolute in terms of real action on this issue?

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

Perhaps the most decisive can be called the actions of the United States, where in Alaska in the 80s for the first time a quota for shooting bears for the indigenous population was introduced. This marked the first time in the history of the United States that local residents were restricted from hunting. Then the quota was about 120-140 animals. Now its size is 58 animals.

Poaching and other threats

How do poachers kill polar bears? Guns or traps?

Shooting from guns.

And who helps orphaned white bears? Can they be released later?

As a rule, there is no need to release orphaned bear cubs into nature: cubs disperse well in zoos. After being kept in captivity, this cannot be done. In the reserve on about. Wrangel once released a bear cub that 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 that walked around the neighborhood and did not let anyone in 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". The little bear cub is very funny, but when a huge beast comes up to people and tries to hug them, it's not fun at all.

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

Treat, 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 rescuing a bear that has suffered 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 be changed so that poachers are caught, imprisoned and punished with high fines? Or is it necessary to catch their "patrons" and customers?

Of course, tougher punishments would be absolutely not superfluous. Penalties for poaching are really low now. But when there are not enough resources to catch poachers, such measures do not guarantee results. In China, the death penalty for shooting tigers has been introduced, but this does not always stop people.

What should be done to reduce poaching to a minimum?

It is believed that in order to combat commercial poaching, insurmountable obstacles to the export and trade of skins should be created. This is very difficult: the skins are usually taken out on steamers, it can be almost impossible to inspect the whole ship in search of a skin.

In Canada and Alaska, poaching is managed through some kind of compromise with the natives. 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 bearskin they find, or even give it as a gift to anyone who is not indigenous.

Who is now fighting poachers in the Arctic territories of Russia?

There is practically no effective control. As a rule, control is provided by one inspector per area, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is sometimes comparable to the area of ​​a European state.

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

It is 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%. At the same time, the skin can also be used on the farm, but often it is thrown away altogether so that, so to speak, there is no evidence left.

In general, the figures are likely to be different across the country, the share of animals hunted for skins will be higher, since the farther to the west, the fewer bear meat lovers.

Why do poachers need a polar bear?

Many Chukchi shoot the 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 trousers. Now this is no longer relevant. At the same time, most bears are shot in Chukotka. In the western Arctic, if hunting is carried out, then, first of all, for the sake of skins for sale.

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

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

Polar bear lunch

Can a polar bear catch fish?

He is almost unsuited to this. Can only catch fish by accident. He is not interested in fish, but if the bear is hungry, he will eat everything.

What does a polar bear eat? Tell me, does the polar bear eat anything else besides meat?

If the food is really bad, then the bear tries to eat even herbaceous plants or kelp. But this is far from the norm for him, rather, just a way to fill his stomach somehow.

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

What is considered a delicacy by polar bears?

It is unlikely that anyone discussed such issues with them. But, most likely, seals are considered a bear delicacy. Including their already decomposed corpses, which the beast also eats with great pleasure.

What animals does the 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, 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 is saturated with the smell of a seal (as often happens with Chukchi hunters), a 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 people - evil from good, poachers from forest rangers? Or maybe we all look the same to them?

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

Will a bear attack a person if he approaches him carefully, he does not have a gun or some kind of 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 is approaching 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 the corner, then the beast can kill or cripple 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 members of the expedition act if they meet a polar bear “nose to nose”?

There is no need to run away. You should not make sudden movements, you need to behave calmly. If there is still room for maneuver, it is better to slowly move out of the way of the animal to the side. If the beast 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 that males use to warn their relatives. But such a hiss must first be learned. In extreme cases, it is useful to have a large stick with you to put it in front of you, try to hit the animal on the nose with it. This also drives the bear away in some cases.

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

Theoretically, it may be possible, but it is hardly worth doing. More than one case is known when wild animals, which for many years were kept and raised as tame, eventually attacked people and killed them. A famous example is the lion King II, who 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 it will end badly for a person, even if the bear does not have the slightest aggressive intentions.

What is being done to protect humans from polar bears?

It is necessary that in the settlements there should be as few garbage dumps as possible and food waste easily accessible to the bear, which, in the first place, attracts the beast. Waste from hunting, the remains of butchering carcasses should be thrown as far as possible from human dwellings. The cleaner it is in the village, the lower the chance of encountering a bear.

Move in places where there is a risk of a bear, you need to be careful. The presence of a bear can be tracked by the behavior of dogs: if they calm down, stop barking, hide, it means that a beast is walking somewhere nearby.

How do the inhabitants of Chukotka feel about polar bears?

Positively, as to a good delicacy product. Along with their main food - seal, whale, deer meat, indigenous peoples traditionally consumed polar bear meat. But, in fact, for the indigenous peoples, the bear is quite a sacred animal, and not everything is so simple with him. In the past, after killing an animal, it was necessary to appease and cajole its spirit in every possible way, which used to take several days. Such was the traditional mechanism for regulating production. Until all the rites have been performed, the next beast cannot be mined.

Since 1956, hunting for a polar bear has been banned in Russia, so hunting for it, including by local residents, is illegal. Today, many residents of Chukotka, seeing the decline in the number of this majestic animal, are actively helping WWF to fight poachers and protect it.

I once saw a photo where border guards feed 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, seeing something incomprehensible, often try to come closer themselves. It all depends on the individual experience of the animal. If the animal has already encountered a person, it was frightened, chased, shot, then most likely it will eventually turn around and run away. If a person has not done anything bad to him before, the bear will not be afraid. If people fed him, of course, the bear will be happy to approach them.

What the bear thinks at the same time is unknown. As for feeding with condensed milk - yes, this happens. Then these lured bears have to be killed. Animals get used to it over time, become impudent, begin not only to beg for a treat, but to demand. Among people, not everyone is able to correctly respond to their actions. When a polar bear rushes at you at a gallop, it is difficult to suspect that he has friendly intentions, although the animal may just be counting on a treat. As a result, accidents happen with the saddest outcome - both for people and for animals.

Do bears feel comfortable in the zoo? It's humane, don't you think? How do polar bears live in zoos if they need cold?

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

Polar bear house

WWF does not 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, Franz Josef Land - bears already live, these territories are part of their natural range. As for Kamchatka, it is not clear what is the purpose of breeding them there and how to do it. The problem of the polar bear is in the reduction of ice, but there is 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?

There is. From time to time, Western companies hold cruises, including Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. You can also come to Svalbard, 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 availability of food. In the Arctic, the food resources for the bear are, as a rule, dispersed over large areas, and the animal makes long journeys: from about. Wrangel - to Alaska, from there - to the south through the Bering Strait, then back to the north, etc. This is their normal mode of life.

Near cities, for example, in Chukotka, polar bears also live. The largest Russian city within their range is Pevek (Chukotka).

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

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

General questions about polar bears

How many cubs survive and how many die in nature?

Mortality among cubs in the first year of life is at least 30%. It can increase due to the anxiety of female bears caused by human activity, due to the need to swim long distances due to the reduction in ice area (such swims are dangerous just 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. Bears leave the ice in autumn to reach certain areas on the shore and lie in a den. But due to climate change, they have to travel ever greater distances. As a result, some she-bears either lie down in the den exhausted, or do not have time to get to the dens in time. From this, the chances of offspring for survival are sharply reduced.

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

How fast can a polar bear run? And swim?

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

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

On average, bears breed once every three years. Pregnancy lasts about six months. In the den where the birth takes place, the she-bear lies around in November and spends there non-stop for at least 3 months. At this time, she lives only thanks to fat reserves.

Newborns are helpless, weighing about 600 g. As a rule, from one to three cubs is born in a female. In the 1970s, on Wrangel Island, scientists calculated: broods with two cubs were 70.3%, with one - 25.5%, with three - 4.2%. During the life of the female brings no more than 8-12 cubs.

Bears with cubs crawl out of 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 of becoming pregnant again in the same season.

Can polar bears climb trees?

Probably not.

Why is the polar bear sometimes yellow?

In fact, the yellowish color is the natural coloration of the polar bear. Young bear cubs may be snow-white, but adult animals are normally yellowish, with a slightly lemon tint. Also, the composition of the food of the animal can affect the color of the coat.

By the way, due to the structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes (in a hot, humid climate, for example, in zoos) acquire a greenish tint. The hairs of a polar bear are hollow inside, and microscopic algae can grow in them.

Probably, polar bears, like all furry animals, molt a couple of times a year, changing their summer coats for winter ones and vice versa in spring. Do polar bears differ in color in summer and winter?

The polar bear is always in 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?

In general, polar bears communicate little with each other; normally, they 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 widespread disease is trichinosis.

Why do polar bears have black skin? I have heard that they are not actually white, it just seems so.

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

What is the lifespan of a polar bear?

In nature, 25-30 years, in captivity up to 40 and 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 cases when the weight of the male was 800 kg.

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

The female and male part before the appearance of the cub. In the future, they try not to intersect, as adult males willingly eat small cubs.

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

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

What is the difference between Russian, American and Norwegian polar bears?

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

Radio collars, once ordered by domestic researchers according to the 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 of the range.

What does "Umka" mean?

"Umky" - "polar bear" in Chukchi. In Eskimo, it is called "nanook".