Polar bear with cub, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

© Design Pics/plainpictur

A mother's warmth in the cold. Polar Bear Week

Polar Bear Week champions one of nature's greatest hunters, the Arctic's majestic predator. Established by Polar Bears International, this period highlights the challenges these mammals face due to climate change, particularly the rapid loss of Arctic Sea ice. This event coincides with the gathering of polar bears in Churchill, Canada—the 'Polar Bear Capital of the World'—as seen in today's image. Here, bears wait for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can start hunting for seals, their primary food source.

Despite their unwieldy size, these marine mammals are remarkably good swimmers, with some individuals covering over 150 kilometres in a single swim. With their thick fur and a generous layer of fat, polar bears perfectly adapt to cold environments. Yet, they now navigate a fragile line between survival and decline. As the ice melts, their hunting grounds disappear, starkly reminding us of our shared responsibility to make sure these noble giants of the North have a secure future.