Polar bears are the largest land carnivores on Earth. Their dense, snow-white fur and a thick layer of fat protect them from the cold.

The polar bear, along with the grizzly bear, is the largest land carnivore on the planet. Weighing over 500 kilograms and measuring nearly three meters in length, this bear is twice the size of a Siberian tiger. To withstand the extreme Arctic cold, polar bears are equipped with a thick layer of fat. They also have an undercoat and a layer of transparent guard hairs. This allows them to swim and hunt in very low temperatures. Polar bears are excellent swimmers and have been spotted 300 kilometers from the coast. A highly sensitive sense of smell aids polar bears in their search for food; they can detect a scent from one and a half kilometers away or buried under a meter of snow. Their hearing and eyesight are comparable to that of humans. Although polar bears are solitary animals, they do not have fixed territories and enjoy playing with one another. Mating occurs in May, and during their gestation period, a female polar bear can nearly triple her weight.