Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
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Range and habitat:
Arctic regions of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Russia
Natural diet:
Predominantly Ringed seals, sometimes Bearded seals. When food is plentiful they prefer to eat only the fat and leave the rest of the carcass for scavengers such as arctic foxes, ravens, and younger bears.
Size / weight range:
Males can be between 8 and 10 feet tall when standing on their hind legs, and weigh between 900 and 1400 pounds.
Females can be between 6 and 8 feet tall when standing on their hind legs, and weigh between 350 and 650 pounds.
Interesting Facts:
IUCN status: Threatened
The polar bears at the Toledo Zoo are part of the Species Survival Program
The main threat to polar bears today is the loss of their icy habitat due to climate change. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases to den.
It is estimated that only
20,000 to 25,000 polar bears remain in the wild.
Location at The Toledo Zoo:
The Arctic Encounter® exhibit.
The Toledo Zoo's polar bears can be viewed live with our Animal Web Cams!
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