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Who would come out on top in a fight, polar bear vs human? You have probably asked yourself this question.
Did you know that polar bears can smell their prey up to 32 kilometers (20 miles) away, including humans?
This should not concern you because they do not actively pursue humans and will only rarely approach you.
However, if you travel to the Arctic, you should know other smells that may attract them. For instance, when preparing food or your packed food.
Unfortunately, the species is listed as endangered. The greatest threat to polar bears is climate change. With the global warming effects affecting them, let’s look at how they compare to us.
The Polar Bear Explained
The polar bear found in the Arctic is also known as the white bear, the sea bear, and the ice bear. It belongs to the Ursidae family.
The polar bear traverses vast, uninhabited areas over great distances, typically on floating coastal ice floes. All this in an attempt to hunt down seals, its primary food source,
The polar bear boasts of being the largest and most potent land carnivore, next to the brown bear. The fact that it has no natural enemies and has no fear of humans makes it a dangerous animal.
Did you know that bears don’t have white fur? It is transparent, and its hollow core reflects light. This aids the bears in blending in with their environment, which is crucial when pursuing slow-moving seals!
These are some huge bears. Adult polar bears can reach over 2.5 meters in length and 680 kilograms in weight. Because they are so large and weighty, they are the largest predators on the planet.
Even though they are large and heavy, polar bears are excellent swimmers; they have been spotted in water over 100 kilometers distant.
Their slightly webbed, 30 centimeters wide feet can be used as paddles to swim at a comfortable 10 km/h.
Polar bears are incredibly well-equipped to survive in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
In addition to their thick fur, they have a layer of fat called blubber that keeps them toasty in frigid air and near-frozen water. Polar bears’ glossy fur shields them from the sun, while their dark epidermis keeps them warm.
Even though polar bears are excellent swimmers, they lack the speed to capture seals in open water. Instead, they utilize the ice as a hunting ground. They wait for seals to breathe through openings in the ice or at the margin of the ice.
These magnificent creatures have a keen sense of smell that helps them locate seals, their preferred meal source. Their keen sense of smell allows them to discover food up to 16 kilometers distant.
Female polar bears give birth in snow tunnels during November and December. Here, the family is protected from the harsh Arctic climate. Cubs are about the same size as guinea pigs at birth, measuring 30 centimeters long and weighing approximately 50 kilograms.
Four or five months later, the polar bear family emerges from its den. The cubs will remain with their mother for nearly two years and learn to thrive in the Arctic.
How Does The Polar Bear Compare to Human
Polar bears are tough to spot because they reside in the Arctic Circle and the Arctic Ocean, making them highly elusive.
The adult polar bear has a shoulder height of approximately 1.30 meters (4.26 feet). Polar bears are between 1.8 and 2.4 meters (5.9 and 7.4 feet) tall when upright on their rear legs. Some of them exceed 3 meters (9.8 ft) in height.
Typically, male polar bears are more significant than females. When standing on its rear legs, the polar bear is much taller than a human.
An adult male polar bear can weigh between 750 and 1300 pounds. Typically, a female weighs between 450 and 500 pounds, though she can measure up to 650 pounds.
Females weigh approximately twice or three times as much as an adult human male. A fully mature male polar bear weighs up to seven times as much as a human.
When a cub is born, it will measure approximately 12 inches or one foot long and weigh around 20 ounces or 1.25 pounds. In the first eight months, a polar bear infant gains 100 pounds and develops rapidly. From birth to 8 months, the typical infant weighs approximately 20 pounds.
Someone can’t outrun a polar bear. People have more stamina than the polar bear, so the only option is to run for a long distance. For shorter distances, however, a bear outruns a human.
The majority of individuals can run at approximately 6 miles per hour. An average bear can sprint 30 to 35 miles per hour, while a polar bear can run 25 miles per hour.
A polar bear’s adult paw can measure up to 12 inches in circumference. The polar bear’s paw is three times the size of a mature human palm, which measures approximately four inches in circumference.
The feet of polar bears are much larger than their body size ratio. Their paws must be broad to bear weight and travel through deep snow and thin ice.
Polar Bears Diet
The two species of bears, brown bears and polar bears, share much in common. Polar bears are the top land predators in the Arctic. They spend the entire winter in ice caverns, where mothers and children hibernate together.
They hunt nearly every waking hour when the ground thaws in the spring until winter’s arrival.. Bears must go on these excursions because they must store a great deal of fat for the upcoming winter.
The polar bear is a skilled predator, and typically, they consume large seals, such as bearded and ringed seals. Nonetheless, they are opportunistic predators who will pursue any animal they encounter. They will consume even deceased animals.
Polar bears are very stealthy and silent when hunting. They wait calmly at the breathing openings for seals in the ice. The bear drags the seal from the water and consumes it on the ice when it surfaces for oxygen.
Are Polar Bears Dangerous to Humans?
These creatures are among the most renowned and dreaded in the world. These bears, scientifically known as Ursus maritimus, are endemic to the world’s harshest regions, where they feed on seals and marine ice. Alternatively, do polar bears hunt humans?
Polar bears in the Arctic are always on the hunt. They are exclusive to the north, near the North Pole. These enormous bears can be found in northern Russia, Greenland, Norway, the extreme north of Canada, and even northern Alaska.
In the Arctic Basin, their primary habitat is the drifting sea ice. Never before have humans and polar bears coexisted in the same territory. As the sea ice retreats, however, polar bears are coming into increasing contact with humans.
Polar bears are a risk due to their keen sense of smell. The sense drives them to consume garbage, hoarded food, dogs, and animal carcasses.
Polar bears pose a high risk to humans and property because they are formidable predators. In the environment of the polar bear, attacks on people and property are growing worse.
More than 20 assaults on humans have been documented in the polar bear’s habitat over the past few years.
Polar bears are vicious predators, which is dangerous for lone Arctic residents. In other words, if they are famished and an opportunity to eat presents itself, they will act.
Human attacks, on the other hand, are highly uncommon. Researchers believe that emphasizing the importance of respect and vigilance in polar bear habitats is one method to reduce polar bear populations.
Avoid Polar Bear Encounters At All Costs
Even though there is no firm evidence that climate change is causing polar bears to pursue humans more frequently, experts are concerned.
Due to global warming, polar bears are in greater peril than ever. In other words, each year, they have less sea ice to traverse and fewer opportunities to obtain sustenance. Increasing numbers of polar bears are entering human locations in search of food.
Many individuals do not have to consider polar bears murdering humans. If you’re traveling to a region where polar bears reside, you should learn more about bear safety.
Polar bears, like black and grizzly bears, are attracted to food thanks to their acute sense of smell. When polar bears smell food, they travel great distances to locate it, so ensure your food is well-wrapped.
Additionally, food should be cooked outside, where odors can escape. When cooking in a tent, food odors tend to linger, attracting bears.
In areas where polar bears reside, it is also crucial to always travel with others. Polar bears rarely attack when other persons are present. Under no circumstances should you venture outdoors by yourself. Polar bears are deceptive predators who may not notice you until too late.
In a nutshell, here are some strategies for avoiding polar bears when camping in their natural habitat:
- It is not advisable to cook in tents because odors linger longer.
- Choose a campsite away from the water, as polar bears will most likely be found near the water.
- Stay with at least two other people; most polar bear attacks on humans involve fewer than two individuals.
- Do not allow polar bears or other bears to access your provisions. Please keep it in containers that are difficult to access.
Conclusion
We hope we have comprehensively answered who would win in the fight: polar bear vs human. As the saying about bears goes: If it’s brown, lay down; if it’s black, fight back; if it’s white, goodnight. We are no match for the polar bear.
Most polar bears will attempt to avoid humans, but what do you do when you spot one? Create loud noises, such as starting an engine or screaming, and the bear will likely leave you alone.
Polar bears are opportunistic hunters, meaning they consume anything when their primary food source is depleted. Avoid them at all costs.
