Polar Bear Facts ! How many of the following facts about polar bears can you answer?

What colour is a polar bear’s skin?

Black !

The scientific name for polar bears is… The scientific name for polar bears is… Ursus maritimus Ursus maritimus means Great ________ Bear

Great SEA Bear !

Polar bears can weigh up to how many pounds? a. 500 b. 1000 c. 1500 d. 2000

1500 Pounds

Polar bears are great swimmers Polar bears are great swimmers! They have been seen swimming over ______ km’s from the shore!

100 kilometres ! Sometimes polar bears get trapped on moving ice floes and end up swimming back to shore!

A polar bear’s liver contains lethal amounts of Vitamin ____ If eaten by a human, it could be fatal!

Vitamin A

Half of the world’s polar bears live in this country

Canada ! All of these bears are located in northern Canada.

True / False Polar bears hibernate.

False ! In winter, instead of hibernating, polar bears migrate to the north.

For short periods of time, polar bears can run over _____ kilometers an hour!

Over 30 kilometres an hour.

True or False… Polar bears eat meat and plants.

False! Polar bears are strictly carnivores (meat eaters). They have been known to eat decaying seal and whale carcasses.

The oldest wild polar bear lived to be _______ years old The oldest wild polar bear lived to be _______ years old! The oldest polar bear in captivity (a zoo) lived to be ______ years old!

Oldest wild bear, 32 Oldest bear in captivity, 41 The age of a polar bear is determined by its teeth. Each year of growth creates a ring (similar to a tree).

True / False Polar bears have pink tongues.

False ! Polar bears have tongues that are bluish / black. Their teeth are longer and sharper than the teeth of grizzly bears!

A polar bear’s diet is made up of seals, belugas, walruses and sometimes even seaweed! However, polar bears are not known to eat…

Fish ! A polar bear can dive to over four metres underwater, but they don’t catch fish.

Polar bears have a great sense of smell Polar bears have a great sense of smell! They can detect these creatures almost a kilometre away (even if these creatures are covered by snow)!

Seals ! Polar bears can stand over 3 metres tall on their hind legs! They will sometimes stand up to sniff the air and detect enemies or prey.

The polar bear was the mascot of the 1988 Winter Olympics which were held in the city of… a. Stockholm b. Calgary c. Sochi d. Moscow

Calgary

Polar Bear Jail. This community (town) has a ‘jail’ for polar bears Polar Bear Jail! This community (town) has a ‘jail’ for polar bears. (It’s actually considered a holding area until the bears can be relocated).

Churchill, Manitoba The ‘jail’ is not really a jail. It’s official name is D20. The ‘jail’ can hold up to 23 bears (larger than the ‘people’ jail in Churchill!

How thick is the blubber found beneath a polar bear’s skin? 4 centimetres 6 centimetres 8 centimetres 10 centimetres

10 centimetres