What We Accomplished for Polar Bears in 2024 Over the past year, we made a lot of progress together on behalf of the world’s polar bears. Here are our Top 10 accomplishments from …

Polar bears don’t have territories, partly because their sea ice habitat is always moving and changing with the seasons, expanding in winter, and retreating in summer. The bears follow …

While they likely evolved between 343,000-479,000 years ago, the polar bear didn’t receive its Latin name until 1774. Ursus maritimus refers to the animal's close association with the Arctic's …

Polar bears play an important role in Indigenous Arctic cultures, and have done so for thousands of years. Today, many communities and Indigenous peoples co-exist with polar bears across …

Polar bear paws are ideal for getting around in the Arctic. They’re huge—as big as dinner plates—and measure up to 30 cm (11.81 in) across. This helps the bears walk on thin ice …

Polar bears communicate with each other through body language, vocalizations, and scent markings: Head wagging from side to side: A sign that polar bears want to play. Adult bears …

Polar bears live in remote areas that are difficult and expensive to study. This makes monitoring them a challenge, both for single surveys and long-term studies. For this reason, scientists …

Polar bear families generally emerge from their dens in March or April when the cubs are strong enough to survive in outside Arctic conditions and make the trek to sea ice. Now, mother bears …

Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt, breed, roam, and sometimes to den. But the Arctic is warming and ice is melting due to human-caused climate change. Already, in parts of the Arctic, longer …

Polar bears have to be smart and patient because the wait can be long—sometimes hours, or even days. Bears also stalk ringed seals that are basking on ice by taking advantage of their …