Twin polar bear cubs asleep in a snow den in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba

© AF archive/Alam

International Polar Bear Day

We don't really need an excuse to feature this adorable photo of twin cubs asleep inside a snow den in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba. But it just so happens that today is International Polar Bear Day, the perfect day for this shot from the 2007 documentary film 'Earth,' which focuses on wild habitats and creatures across the planet.

International Polar Bear Day was created in 2005 by conservation group Polar Bears International to bring attention to the important role these alpha predators play in the Arctic ecosystem. Though polar bears aren't endangered—their current conservation status is 'vulnerable'—these magnificent beasts have become a sort of mascot for the race to slow the melting of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic ice is crucial to the bears' survival, as they hunt ringed seals that bob up through holes in the ice. As Arctic ice decreases, the polar bears' hunting ground does, too.