Polar bears

My fur-covered feet and my claws prevent me from skidding when I walk on ice and snow.

My fur-covered feet and my claws prevent me from skidding when I walk on ice and snow.

© Konstantine / International Polar Foundation

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  • Can you tell who I am ? A little hint: people call me the
  • I am the polar bear. I live in the Arctic (North). Being big (up to 3.5 meters high and up to 800 kg) does not prevent me from running fast (up to 40 Km/h).
  • Seals are my favourite meal. During winter I kill them when they come breathing through a hole in the sea ice.
  • I am also a great swimmer and I am perfectly equipped for underwater dives: I can close my nostrils and my feet are partly webbed.
  • When the sun is up on the sea ice, it can hurt my sensitive eyes. To prevent this, they are covered by a thin protective membrane.
  • My ears are tiny, round and covered with fur so as to lose little warmth but I still keep aware of my sound environment.
  • To hunt and eat my preys, I have long pointy teeth and powerful claws.
  • My nose is the only part of my body not covered with fur. My smell is very sensitive. I can smell a seal from 2 Km away.
  • My fur-covered feet and my claws prevent me from skidding when I walk on ice and snow.
  • My tail is quite small (10cm)
  • My fur is white. However my skin is black, but scientists still don't understand why. I can also rely on a thick layer of fat to protect me from the cold.
  • Sea ice forms when the sea's surface freezes. Climate Change induced by human activities makes it melt slowly and my territories are shrinking every year.

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Teacher Koen Meirlaen performs the experiment at the Princess Elisabeth station in Antarctica.

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