Schleich Polar Bear Cub, running

The polar bear is, along with the grizzly bear, the largest land predator on earth. Weighing more than 500 kilos and measuring almost three metres long, 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 a layer of underfur and a layer of transparent protective hair. This allows them to swim and hunt in very low temperatures. Polar bears are very good swimmers and have been seen 300 kilometres from the coast. When searching for food, polar bears benefit from a highly sensitive sense of smell. They can detect a smell one and a half kilometres away or buried under a one-metre layer of snow! Hearing and eyesight are comparable to those of humans. Although polar bears live as loners, they have no fixed territories and enjoy playing with each other. Mating takes place in May and during her pregnancy the female polar bear almost triples her weight.