Polar bear with cub, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

© Design Pics/plainpictur

Polar bear

Welcome to Churchill, Canada—the 'Polar Bear Capital of the World'. Here, bears wait for Hudson Bay to freeze so they can start hunting for seals, their primary food source. This migration transforms the town into a prime destination for wildlife enthusiasts. 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. For polar bears, the Arctic Sea ice is critical for hunting seals. As the ice melts earlier in the spring and forms later in the autumn, polar bears are compelled to swim longer distances, depleting their energy reserves. The shrinking ice forces them onto land, where food is scarce, leading to malnutrition and a lower survival rate. This reminds us of our shared responsibility to make sure these noble giants of the North have a secure future.