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Polar Bear
Reproduction
Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus, mother with cubs. Churchill area, Manitoba, Canada
© Michel Terrettaz/WWF-Canon
Polar bears breed from March through June. The males actively seek out females by following their scent as they roam the sea ice. They remain with the female for a short time, and then leave in search of another potential mate.
During October through December, pregnant females begin searching for suitable denning habitat on land or on the sea ice. Only pregnant female polar bears den. They excavate their dens in a drift of snow, maintaining and enlarging the chamber as the drifts change over the winter. Polar bears give birth sometime during early winter between December and January. Pregnant females must live off stored reserves for up to six months. The snow den, mother’s body heat, and her milk – high in fat content –enables the cubs to keep warm and grow rapidly before leaving the den in March or April.
Short trips are made to and from the den for several days as the cubs acclimate to the outside temperatures. Then the family leaves and makes its way to the sea ice where the mother feeds and protects her cubs. After two years together, the family disperses and the cycle begins again.
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