Maintenance and reproduction of brown bears. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) Brown bear (eng.)

The brown or common bear is a predatory mammal from the bear family. This is one of the largest and most dangerous species of land predators. There are about twenty subspecies of brown bear, differing in appearance and distribution area.

Description and appearance

The appearance of a brown bear is typical of all representatives of the bear family. The body of the animal is well developed and powerful.

Appearance

There is a high withers, as well as a fairly massive head with small ears and eyes. The length of the relatively short tail varies between 6.5-21.0 cm. The paws are quite strong and well developed, with powerful and non-retractable claws. The feet are very wide, five-toed.

Dimensions of a brown bear

The average length of a brown bear living in the European part is usually about one and a half to two meters with a body weight in the range of 135-250 kg. Individuals inhabiting the central zone of our country are somewhat smaller in size and can weigh approximately 100-120 kg. The Far Eastern bears and bears are considered the largest, their sizes often reaching three meters.

Skin color

The color of a brown bear is quite variable. Differences in the color of the skin depend on the habitat, and the color of the fur can vary from a light fawn shade to a bluish-black. The standard color is brown.

This is interesting! A characteristic feature of the grizzly bear is the presence of hair on the back with whitish ends, due to which there is a kind of graying on the coat. Individuals with a grayish-white color are found in the Himalayas. Animals with reddish-brown fur inhabit Syria.

Lifespan

In natural conditions average duration The lifespan of a brown bear is approximately twenty to thirty years. In captivity, this species can live fifty years, and sometimes more. Rare individuals survive in natural conditions to the age of fifteen years.

Subspecies of brown bear

The brown bear species includes several subspecies or so-called geographical races, which differ in size and color.

The most common subspecies:

European brown bear with a body length of 150-250 cm, tail length of 5-15 cm, height at the withers of 90-110 cm and an average weight of 150-300 kg. A large subspecies with a powerful build and a pronounced hump at the withers. General coloration varies from light grayish-yellow to blackish-dark brown. The fur is thick and long enough;
Caucasian brown bear with an average body length of 185-215 cm and body weight of 120-240 kg. The coat is short, coarse, and paler in color than that of the Eurasian subspecies. Color ranges from a pale straw color to a uniform gray-brown color. There is a pronounced, large dark-colored spot in the withers area;
East Siberian brown bear with a body weight of up to 330-350 kg and a large skull size. The fur is long, soft and dense, with a pronounced shine. The wool has a light brown or blackish-brown or dark brown color. Some individuals are characterized by the presence of fairly clearly visible yellowish and black shades in color;
Ussuri or Amur brown bear. In our country, this subspecies is well known as the black grizzly. The average body weight of an adult male can vary between 350-450 kg. The subspecies is characterized by the presence of a large and well-developed skull with an elongated nasal part. The skin is almost black. Distinctive feature is presence long hair on the ears.

One of the largest subspecies in our country is the Far Eastern or Kamchatka brown bear, average weight whose body often exceeds 450-500 kg. Large adults have a large, massive skull and a wide, raised front of the head. The fur is long, dense and soft, pale yellow, blackish-brown or completely black in color.

The area where the brown bear lives

The natural distribution area of brown bears has undergone significant changes over the last century. Previously, the subspecies were found in vast areas stretching from England to the Japanese Islands, as well as from Alaska to central Mexico.

Today, due to the active extermination of brown bears and their eviction from inhabited territories, the most numerous groups of predators are recorded only in the western part of Canada, as well as in Alaska and forest areas our country.

Bear lifestyle

The period of activity of the predator occurs at dusk, early morning and evening hours. Brown bear– the animal is very sensitive, orienting itself in space mainly with the help of hearing, as well as smell. Poor vision is characteristic. Despite their impressive size and large body weight, brown bears are almost silent, fast and very easy to move predators.

This is interesting! The average running speed is 55-60 km/h. Bears swim quite well, but they can move through deep snow cover with great difficulty.

Brown bears belong to the category of sedentary animals, but young animals separated from the family are capable of wandering and actively looking for a partner. Bears mark and defend the boundaries of their territory. IN summer period bears rest directly on the ground, located among forbs and low shrubby plants. With the onset of autumn, the animal begins to prepare for itself a reliable winter shelter.

Nutrition and prey of the brown bear

Brown bears are omnivores, but the basis of their diet is vegetation, represented by berries, acorns, nuts, roots, tubers and the stem parts of plants. In a lean year, oats and corn are good substitutes for berries. Also, the predator’s diet necessarily includes all kinds of insects, represented by ants, worms, lizards, frogs, field and forest rodents.

Large adult predators are capable of attacking young artiodactyls. Roe deer, fallow deer, deer, wild boar and elk can become prey. An adult brown bear can break the back of its prey with one blow of its paw, after which it covers it with brushwood and guards it until the carcass is completely eaten. Near water areas, some subspecies of brown bears hunt seals, fish and seals.

Grizzly bears are capable of attacking a baribal bear and taking prey from more small predators.

This is interesting! Regardless of age, brown bears have excellent memory. These wild animals are able to easily remember mushroom or berry places, and also quickly find their way to them.

The basis of the diet of the Far Eastern brown bear in summer and autumn is salmon going to spawn. In lean years and poor food supply, a large predator is capable of attacking even domestic animals and grazing livestock.

Reproduction and offspring

The mating season of the brown bear lasts a couple of months and begins in May, when the males engage in fierce fights. Females mate with several adult males at once. Latent pregnancy involves the development of an embryo only during the hibernation stage of the animal. The female carries the cubs for approximately six to eight months.. Blind and deaf, completely helpless and covered with sparse hair, the cubs are born in a den. As a rule, the female bears two or three babies, whose height at the time of birth does not exceed a quarter of a meter and weighs 450-500 g.

This is interesting! In the den, the cubs feed on milk and grow to three months, after which they develop milk teeth and become able to independently feed on berries, vegetation and insects. However, cubs are breastfed for up to one and a half years or more.

Not only the female takes care of the offspring, but also the so-called nurse daughter, who appeared in the previous litter. The cubs live next to the female until they are about three or four years old, until they reach puberty. The female usually produces offspring once every three years.

Brown bear hibernation

The brown bear's sleep is completely different from the period of hibernation characteristic of other mammal species. During hibernation, the brown bear's body temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse remain virtually unchanged. The bear does not fall into a state of complete stupor, and in the first days only dozes.

At this time, the predator listens sensitively and reacts to the slightest danger by leaving the den. In warm winters with little snow and plenty of food, some males do not hibernate. Sleep occurs only with the onset of severe frosts and can last less than a month. In a dream, supplies are wasted subcutaneous fat, which was accumulated in the summer and autumn.

Getting ready for bed

Winter shelters are established by adults in reliable, remote and dry places, under a windbreak or the roots of a fallen tree. The predator is able to independently dig a deep den in the ground or occupy mountain caves and rock crevices. Pregnant brown bears try to create a deeper, more spacious, warm den for themselves and their offspring, which is then lined with moss on the inside, spruce branches and fallen leaves.

This is interesting! Baby bear cubs always spend winter period together with his mother. Such a company can be joined by bear cubs in their second year of life.

All adult and solitary predators hibernate alone. The exception is individuals living on the territory of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. Here, the presence of several adult individuals in one den is often observed.

Duration of hibernation

Depending on weather conditions and some other factors, brown bears are able to stay in a den for up to six months. The period when a bear lies in a den, as well as the duration of hibernation itself, may depend on the conditions imposed by weather conditions, the yield of the fattening food supply, gender, age parameters and even the physiological state of the animal.

This is interesting! An old wild animal that has gained a lot of fat goes into hibernation much earlier, even before significant snow cover falls, while young and insufficiently fed individuals lie down in a den in November-December.

The period of occurrence lasts for a couple of weeks or several months. Pregnant females are the first to settle in for the winter. Lastly, old males occupy dens. The same place for hibernation in winter can be used by a brown bear for several years.

Bears-rods

Shatun is a brown bear that has not had time to accumulate a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat and, for this reason, is not able to hibernate. In the process of searching for any food, such a predator is capable of wandering around the surrounding area all winter. As a rule, such a brown bear moves uncertainly and has a shabby and relatively exhausted appearance.

This is interesting! When meeting dangerous opponents, brown bears emit a very loud roar, stand on their hind legs and try to knock down their opponent. with a strong blow powerful front paws.

Hunger forces the beast to often appear in close proximity to human habitation. The connecting rod bear is typical for the northern regions, characterized by harsh winters, including the territory of the Far East and Siberia. A massive invasion of connecting rod bears can occur during lean seasons, approximately once every ten years. Hunting connecting rod bears is not a commercial activity, but a necessary measure.

Are the authorities hindering or helping WWF to protect polar bears?

The state protects the polar bear as a species included in the List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (International Red Book) and in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The president's interest in the polar bear is improving the situation, as many people are becoming more attentive to the very task of preserving this species. Scientists studying polar bears receive additional funding, which means the opportunity to conduct new research, since in this way an important government task is being solved. But the main thing that the state can do for the bear is to create an effective system for monitoring the number of the species, combat poaching and the illegal trade in skins.

At the initiative of WWF, a Polar Bear Conservation Strategy was prepared, which was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources. But the implementation of the Action Plan until 2020 in accordance with this Strategy requires money, so it is still poorly implemented in practice.

Has WWF already managed to do anything significant to save the polar bear?

Yes, it worked. For example, we have been running the Bear Patrol program for several years now, which is aimed at preventing conflicts between bears and humans. Due to the melting of the ice, the bear began to come ashore more often and approach human habitations in search of food. Encounters often end badly, sometimes for humans, but usually for bears, since people in those places usually go armed.

We accepted active participation in the development of the “Strategy for the Conservation of Polar Bears in the Russian Federation.” This strategy was approved by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources in July 2010.

It describes specific mechanisms that help preserve bear populations. It is indicated what legislative amendments need to be made, how to improve the system of protected natural areas, what scientific research to carry out, how to work with the population of the “bear” regions in order to achieve the goal. WWF is trying to ensure that the provisions of the strategy are implemented in practice and expects that this will bring real benefits to the polar bear in the near future.

WWF monitors poaching locally and, together with the organization TRAFFIC, monitors advertisements on the Internet for the sale of illegally obtained skins.

What is there not enough funding for?

Funding is needed for anti-poaching activities, in particular to prevent illegal hunting in the field. The level of poaching is assessed jointly with regional hunting organizations, which have the opportunity to directly communicate with local residents and receive fairly objective information from them.

WWF could, with additional funding, support local inspectorates that prevent illegal hunting and provide them with money to purchase equipment. The funds would also be useful for paying fees to volunteer employees from local public anti-poaching inspections.

In addition, we need to know how many polar bears live in the Russian Arctic. Only with this information can one develop protective measures and make informed management decisions in different regions. This means we need money to research bear populations.

Counting polar bears is an unusually expensive thing, for which in some cases there is not enough money for specialists in richer Western countries. To count one population in the Russian Arctic, a minimum of $10-15 million is required, and in total it is necessary to estimate the size of four populations. Sometimes, however, Norwegian researchers help us a little, covering some Russian territory when conducting your accounting.

Any living organism, especially one so original and unique, has a certain value. Each species plays its role in the ecosystem, that is, it is important for its proper functioning. The loss of species is especially painful for the Arctic. In the tropics, for example, at every level of the ecosystem - at the level of plants producing organic matter, at the level of herbivorous animals, at the level of predators feeding on herbivores - there are a lot various organisms. In the Arctic, the range of species at each level is extremely limited.

For Arctic marine ecosystems, the polar bear is practically the only large predator. If it is excluded from the ecosystem, unpredictable negative consequences are likely to occur. In the Far East, for example, after a decline in the tiger population, outbreaks of deer and wild boars began, which eat up large quantities of plants and provoke forest degradation.

In addition, the polar bear is a beautiful, noble animal; it has become a living symbol of the Arctic. To emphasize the cultural and symbolic value of the polar bear, WWF included it in the list of Flagship species - “flag”, especially recognizable animals. It will be very sad if we lose this species forever.

How can I personally help a polar bear?

To help a polar bear, you don’t have to leave your business and family and go to the Arctic. You can help him, for example, by saving electricity, water, handing over waste paper and taking care of natural resources. By saving electricity and water, we reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which means we help stop climate change and the melting of ice in the Arctic. You can also save the polar bear by doing donation for its protection: to support the Bear Patrols, the creation of specially protected natural areas and peace zones in the Arctic. You can receive a cute felt bear as a gift (for a contribution of 2,500 rubles or more) or “adopt” a polar bear (for a contribution of 30,000 rubles). All funds raised go to WWF's Arctic program, within which we preserve this species.

If you live near the habitats of polar bears, it is worth knowing and following the rules of conduct when meeting an animal, both for your own safety and in order not to put the animal in a risky position.

State of the polar bear population

What impacts the polar bear population the most?

Like any population, it is primarily affected by the availability and accessibility of food. The main prey of polar bears is seals. Bears have adapted to hunting seals from the ice. Therefore, the key condition for ensuring that the normal way of life of bears is not disrupted is the presence of ice in the seas where seals live. Due to climate change the area multi-year ice is catastrophically reduced, and in summer huge expanses of open water are formed. While afloat, the bear cannot catch anyone. It is not very beneficial for him to follow the ice closer to the pole - most seals live in coastal areas. The bear often remains on the shore, where it is extremely difficult for him to hunt. At this time, he either tries to catch walrus cubs, or eats carrion, or approaches human settlements to beg in garbage dumps.

The number of bears is also negatively affected by poaching, the scale of which is quite difficult to assess. In Chukotka, about several dozen bears are probably hunted illegally every year (maximum two to three hundred). Since the number of polar bears around the world ranges from 22-31 thousand, this factor for this population may be critical.

Finally, pollution of habitats with harmful organic compounds and heavy metals also plays a role. Hazardous substances accumulate in the meat and fat of the bear. Although Russian studies in recent years have shown that the situation with pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms It’s not nearly as bad for a polar bear. Brown and Himalayan bears are more exposed to these threats. And Russian polar bear populations turned out to be even more “ecologically friendly” than Canadian ones.

Is it true that many bears are now drowning due to melting ice?

This is clearly not a factor that significantly reduces their numbers. The polar bear is an excellent swimmer, capable of spending many hours in a row in the water. Of course, bear cubs can drown during particularly long swims, but it is unrealistic to count how many of them drown. This doesn't happen often. In general, a bear can swim hundreds of kilometers in some cases, but such travel is not the norm for it.

How would it be possible to monitor a polar bear? Has monitoring been carried out before and how?

A complete census of the entire Russian Arctic has never been carried out. The most complete data was collected in the Soviet Union, but it is already outdated. In Russia, the number of bears is periodically counted, dens are counted, samples are taken to assess the physiological state of animals, but good system Monitoring, that is, constant control over the entire range of the species, is not adequate. We have prepared a similar monitoring program for the Russian Arctic, but there is no funding for its implementation (see the section WWF and polar bears, the question “What is there not enough funding for?”).

Local census on Franz Josef Land was carried out 4 years ago with the participation of Norwegian scientists. In the 80-90s of the last century, systematic surveys of dens were carried out on the Chukotka coast, in the nature reserve on Wrangel Island, but then this work was no longer carried out regularly.

To collect scattered information, it is possible to attract volunteer observers from among local residents, which is what we are doing as part of the Bear Patrol project. The data they collect helps provide some insight into the bear population.

How do you distinguish one polar bear from another without recording the same polar bear twice?

When specialists conduct observations in an area inhabited by a more or less constant number of bears, over time they begin to distinguish one individual from another “by eye”, based on individual characteristics. During large-scale studies, bears are marked with radio collars and a whole range of other marks - on the ear, on the inner surface of the lips. If the bear is recaptured by scientists or killed, it will be possible to determine when and where it was last seen.

At what rate is the polar bear dying out as a species and when might it become extinct completely?

It is still premature to talk about the extinction of the polar bear. If the ice disappears in the Arctic, there is a high probability that the bear will become extinct. Although, for example, on the shores of Hudson Bay there has long been a curious population that has learned to do without summer ice. Bears build dens under the trees there.

For now, most likely, there is a certain reduction in numbers, which is difficult to assess due to the lack of accurate data.

Are there more polar bears in Canada than in Russia? Where is the situation with polar bears better?

There are slightly more bears in Canada than in Russia. In Canada and Greenland, a somewhat more comfortable environment for the species has developed, since there are many islands separated by small straits with a lot of ice, where bears can move freely. Judging by climate forecasts, it is in this region that the species will survive the longest. Therefore, Canada and Greenland are making joint efforts to create a conservation area called the Last Ice Area.

At the same time, it is in Canada that sport hunting of polar bears is practiced. It also provides quotas for the indigenous population to hunt bears as part of traditional hunting. Local residents, in turn, have the right to sell their quotas to visiting hunters.

Which country is most concerned about polar bears? Which country is the most decisive in terms of taking real action on this issue?

Decisiveness in action is a relative concept here. In Norway, for example, hunting polar bears is completely prohibited. But in this country there is no indigenous population engaged in traditional crafts. In Canada and Greenland the situation is different; they cannot completely ban hunting by local peoples, although they are also concerned about the situation of the species.

Perhaps the most decisive are the actions of the United States, where in Alaska in the 80s they first introduced a quota for the shooting of bears for the indigenous population. This marked the first precedent in the history of the United States when hunting restrictions were imposed on local residents. Then the quota was about 120 - 140 animals. Now its size is 58 animals.

Poaching and other threats

How do poachers kill polar bears? With a gun or setting traps?

They shoot from guns.

Who helps orphaned polar bears? Is it possible to release them later?

As a rule, there is no need to release orphaned bear cubs into the wild: the cubs disperse well to zoos. This cannot be done after being kept in captivity. In the reserve on the island. Wrangel once released a bear cub, which spent some time with people. In the evening of the same day, he returned to the village, where everyone fed him. And then he grew into a healthy animal who walked around the neighborhood and did not let anyone pass without a can of condensed milk or a pack of cookies.

It was necessary to carry treats with you and, if the bear suddenly approached, to give him a “bribe.” A little bear cub is very funny, but when a huge animal comes up to people and tries to hug them, it’s not fun at all.

Who and how is helping wounded polar bears now? Who treats them and where?

They are treated, perhaps, only in zoos. If someone picks up a sick or injured bear cub, they will most likely send it to the nearest zoo. The task of saving a bear injured in the wild is incredibly difficult.

What to do if you find the skin of a polar bear?

Contact the organization TRAFFIC, which monitors the illegal trade in organisms and their derivatives.

What needs to change so that poachers are caught, jailed and punished with heavy fines? Or do we need to catch their “patrons” and customers?

Of course, tougher punishments would not be out of place. Fines for poaching are now really low. But when there are not enough resources to catch poachers, such measures do not guarantee results. China has introduced the death penalty for shooting tigers, but this does not always stop people.

What needs to be done to reduce poaching to a minimum?

It is believed that in order to combat commercial poaching, it is necessary to create insurmountable obstacles to the export and trade of skins. This is very difficult: skins, as a rule, are exported on ships, and it can be almost impossible to inspect an entire ship in search of a skin.

In Canada and Alaska, it is possible to cope with poaching through a certain compromise with the indigenous people. They are given quotas to shoot a certain number of polar bears. At the same time, in Alaska, representatives local peoples have the right to use hunting products only for their own purposes. They do not have the right to sell the harvested bear skin or even give it to anyone who does not belong to the indigenous population.

Who is fighting poachers now? Arctic territories Russia?

There is practically no effective control. As a rule, control is provided by one inspector per area, the area of which is sometimes comparable to the area of a European state.

How many bears are shot for their skins, and how many for meat in general?

It would be more correct to put the question this way: how much is mined for their own use, and how much is just to sell the skin. According to our data for Chukotka, it turns out that in eastern Chukotka about 15% of bears are hunted for the sale of skins. And for meat - more than 70%. In this case, the skin can also be used on the farm, but is often thrown away altogether, so that, so to speak, no evidence remains.

In the country as a whole, the numbers are likely to be different; the share of animals hunted for skins will be higher, since the further to the west, the fewer lovers of bear meat.

Why do poachers want polar bears?

Many Chukchi shoot a bear just to eat it. This is the main motivation in about 75% of cases. The skin is of secondary importance. In the past it was used as a covering for sledges or for making trousers. Now this is no longer relevant. Moreover, most bears are shot in Chukotka. In the western Arctic, if hunting is carried out, it is primarily for the sake of skins for sale.

Are polar bears threatened by oil production in the Arctic? If so, how?

Threatened, first of all, due to pollution, due to the impact on the food supply, and also due to the fact that it creates a disturbance factor. Of course, if a polar bear gets dirty in oil, it is unlikely to die immediately like birds, although it will have a very hard time. But the main thing is that if oil pollution kills the fish and leads to the disappearance of the seals, the bear will be left without food.

Polar bear lunch

Can a polar bear fish?

He is almost not adapted to this. Can only catch fish by accident. Fish is of little interest to him, but if the bear is hungry, he will eat everything.

What does a polar bear eat? Tell me, does a polar bear eat anything other than meat?

If the food supply is really bad, the bear will even try to eat herbaceous plants or kelp. But this is far from the norm for him; rather, it’s just a way to somehow fill his stomach.

By the way, if the food supply is good, then the bear will not eat meat either, but will only consume the fat of the caught seal. Especially in winter, when digesting meat is not very beneficial from an energy point of view: for digestion meat food it takes so much energy that it’s easier for the bear to go and get another seal.

What is considered a delicacy among polar bears?

Hardly anyone discussed such issues with them. But, most likely, seals are considered a delicacy among bears. Including their already decomposed corpses, which the beast also eats with great pleasure.

What animals does a polar bear eat?

He himself catches mainly seals. As a rule, a bear cannot catch large walruses, not to mention whales, although he still sometimes catches small walruses. It is too difficult for him to hunt land animals. But if a bear comes across the carcass of a dead walrus, whale, deer, or arctic fox, then he will willingly eat it. It can also eat human corpses, for example, if it kills someone by accident. If a person becomes saturated with the smell of a seal (this often happens with Chukchi hunters), the bear may mistakenly attack and eat him.

The bear feeds on common animals that are not endangered. The same animals are regularly hunted by humans.

Polar bear and man

Does a polar bear distinguish between good and evil people, poachers from forest rangers? Or maybe we all look the same to them?

It is unlikely that bears are so well-versed in psychology that they can immediately distinguish good people from the evil ones. But they are curious animals with certain rudiments of intelligence. If they live in the same place and see the same people, then over time they begin to distinguish them.

Will a bear attack a person if he approaches him carefully and does not have a gun or some other object for protection?

Depends on the specific situation. As a rule, no. But it should be borne in mind that if a bear, for example, is eating something, and at that time a person with the best intentions approaches him, then the bear can easily attack: he will decide that they are trying to take away his food. If a person appears in front of a bear unexpectedly, from around a corner, the animal can kill or injure a person from fright, without having time to assess whether he poses a real threat.

What to do when meeting a polar bear? Should I run away or, on the contrary, freeze and stand still? How do you become a member of an expedition if you meet a polar bear “nose to nose”?

There is no need to run away under any circumstances. You should not make sudden movements, you need to behave calmly. If there is still room for maneuver, then it is better to slowly move out of the way of the animal to the side. If the animal is already very close, then it is better to stand. Experienced people sometimes hiss at a bear - they emit a certain bear signal, a specific hiss, which males use to warn their relatives. But such hissing must first be learned. In extreme cases, it is useful to have a large stick with you so that you can put it in front of you and try to hit the animal on the nose with it. This also drives away the bear in some cases.

Is it possible to tame a polar bear if you start from childhood so that it becomes friends with a person? Or is he too wild an animal that cannot be completely trusted, but only trained and kept in a cage?

Theoretically, it might be possible, but it’s hardly worth doing. There is more than one known case when wild animals, which were kept and raised as tame animals for many years, eventually attacked and killed people. A famous example is the lion King II, which was kept by the Berberov family.

The polar bear is also a very large animal. If he is good friends with a person and suddenly decides to just play, then this will end badly for the person, even if the bear does not have the slightest aggressive intentions.

What is being done to protect people from polar bears?

It is necessary that in populated areas there be as little as possible garbage dumps and food waste that is easily accessible to the bear, which, first of all, attracts the animal. Waste from hunting and cutting of carcasses should be disposed of as far as possible from human habitations. The cleaner the village is, the lower the likelihood of encountering a bear.

Moving in places where there is a risk of a bear must be done with caution. The presence of a bear can be monitored by the behavior of dogs: if they become quiet, stop barking, or hide, it means that there is an animal walking somewhere nearby.

How do Chukotka residents feel about polar bears?

Positively, like a good gourmet product. Along with their main food - seal, whale, and deer meat, indigenous peoples traditionally consumed polar bear meat. But, in fact, for indigenous peoples the bear is a rather sacred animal, and not everything is so simple with it. In the past, after killing an animal, it was necessary to please and appease its spirit in every possible way, which used to take several days. This was the traditional mechanism for regulating production. Until all the rituals have been completed, the next animal cannot be hunted.

Since 1956, polar bear hunting has been prohibited in Russia, so hunting it, including by local residents, is illegal. Today, many residents of Chukotka, seeing the decline in the number of this majestic beast, actively help WWF fight poachers and protect it.

I once saw a photograph of border guards feeding a polar bear with condensed milk. What does a bear think when they see a person? Are polar bears generally curious?

Bears are very curious and, when they see something incomprehensible, they often try to come closer. It all depends on the individual experience of the animal. If the animal has already encountered a person, been scared, chased, or shot at, then most likely it will eventually turn around and run away. If a person has never done anything bad to him before, the bear will not be afraid. If people fed it, of course, the bear will happily approach them.

What the bear thinks about this is unknown. As for feeding with condensed milk - yes, this happens. Then these fed bears have to be killed. Over time, animals get used to it, become impudent, and begin not just to beg for a treat, but to demand it. Not everyone among people is able to react correctly to their actions. When a polar bear gallops towards you, it is difficult to suspect friendly intentions, although the animal may just be counting on a treat. As a result, incidents happen with the most tragic outcome - both for people and animals.

Do bears feel comfortable in the zoo? Do you think this is humane? How do polar bears live in zoos if they need cold?

They try to create comfortable conditions for polar bears in enclosures: they fill a pool with cool water and throw in snow. World experience shows that polar bears feel quite comfortable in zoos, at least in temperate latitudes, although they are, of course, hot in the summer. But brown bears can also be uncomfortable in captivity in the summer.

Polar Bear House

WWF doesn't want to breed polar bears in other regions of Russia - for example, in Kamchatka or the Barents Sea?

In the Barents Sea - on the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land - bears already live, these territories are part of their natural range. As for Kamchatka, it is unclear for what purpose to breed them there and how to do it. The polar bear's problem is the reduction of ice, but there is certainly no more ice in Kamchatka than on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

Are there any excursions to nature reserves where you can see polar bears in the wild?

Eat. From time to time, Western companies conduct cruises that include, among others, Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. You can also come to Spitsbergen, and theoretically to Wrangel Island, although cruises there are extremely rare. In any case, all these trips are extremely expensive.

Can a polar bear live near a city? How much space does one polar bear need?

How much space a bear needs depends on the availability and accessibility of food. In the Arctic, food resources for bears are, as a rule, dispersed over large areas, and the animal makes long journeys: from the island. Wrangel - to Alaska, from there - south through the Bering Strait, then back to the north, etc. This is their normal life regime.

Polar bears also live near cities, for example in Chukotka. The largest Russian city within their range is Pevek (Chukotka).

Is it possible to relocate a polar bear to Antarctica and penguins to the Arctic? Have there been such attempts?

No, there have been no such attempts, and, apparently, there will not be any. It is unlikely that they could bring anything good. The meaning of such relocations is not particularly clear, although purely theoretically they may be possible.

General questions about polar bears

How many bear cubs survive and how many die in nature?

The mortality rate among cubs in the first year of life is at least 30%. It may increase due to the anxiety of bears caused by human activity, due to the need to overcome long distances by swimming due to the reduction in ice area (such swims are dangerous especially for small bear cubs with an insufficiently developed layer of subcutaneous fat).

The reduction in the area of summer ice is generally very unfavorable for polar bear breeding. Mother bears leave the ice in the fall to reach certain areas on the shore and lie down in a den. But due to climate change, they have to travel ever greater distances. As a result, some female bears either lie down in their dens exhausted, or do not have time to get to the den sites in time. This greatly reduces the offspring's chances of survival.

Due to climate change, the likelihood of spring rains, which can damage the den, is also increasing. This is very dangerous for small bear cubs.

How fast can a polar bear run? What about swimming?

Swims at a speed of 4-5 km/hour, walks about 10 km/hour. He can run 40 km/h, but he gets tired quickly.

How quickly do polar bears reproduce? How long does a bear's pregnancy last and how does it proceed? How and for how long does she care for the cubs?

On average, bears breed once every three years. Pregnancy lasts about six months. The female bear goes to the den where the birth takes place around November and spends there without going out for at least 3 months. At this time, she lives only thanks to fat reserves.

Newborns are helpless and weigh about 600 g. As a rule, a female gives birth to one to three cubs. In the 1970s, on Wrangel Island, scientists calculated: litters with two cubs amounted to 70.3%, with one - 25.5%, with three - 4.2%. During her life, the female brings no more than 8-12 cubs.

Mother bears with cubs emerge from their dens from the end of February to the end of April. The cubs walk with their mother for about 2.5-3 years, then they begin to live independently. Mating in polar bears occurs from April to early June. If the cubs die within two months of leaving the den, the female bear has a chance to become pregnant again in the same season.

Can polar bears climb trees?

Probably not.

Why is a polar bear sometimes yellow?

In fact, yellowish color is the natural coloring of the polar bear. Young cubs can be snow-white, but adult animals are normally yellowish, with a slightly lemony tint. Also, the color of the coat can be influenced by the composition of the animal's food.

By the way, due to the structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes (in hot, humid climates, for example, in zoos) acquire a greenish tint. Polar bear hairs are hollow inside and can harbor microscopic algae.

Probably, polar bears, like all furry animals, shed a couple of times a year, changing their summer coat to a winter one and vice versa in the spring. Are polar bears different in color in summer and winter?

The polar bear is always among the snow, swimming in cold water. Therefore, although he sheds, his fur does not undergo significant changes over the seasons. Shedding occurs gradually over a long period of time.

How do polar bears communicate with each other? Sounds? Gestures?

Polar bears in general communicate little with each other; they normally lead a solitary lifestyle. But when they do interact with each other, they do so through voice, gestures and touch.

What diseases does a polar bear suffer from?

The most dangerous and common disease is trichinosis.

Why do polar bears have black skin? I've heard that they're not really white, they just seem that way.

The polar bear has yellowish translucent fur. Its hairs transmit solar light radiation to the skin and delay thermal radiation from the skin during external environment. Dark (highly pigmented) skin helps absorb solar energy more efficiently. It turns out that the skin of a polar bear works like a greenhouse to prevent the animal from freezing.

What is the life expectancy of a polar bear?

In nature, 25-30 years, in captivity up to 40 or a little more.

How many teeth do polar bears have?

What is the weight of the largest and smallest polar bears?

Female polar bears weigh 200-300 kg, males - up to 400-500 kg. There are known cases when the weight of a male was 800 kg.

What is the relationship between a female and a male polar bear after the birth of a cub?

The female and male separate before the baby appears. In the future, they try not to intersect, since adult males willingly snack on small cubs.

What is the difference in character between a polar bear and a brown bear?

The brown bear is an exclusively terrestrial species. He doesn't specialize in anything certain type food, in large quantities consumes plant foods - berries, nuts. The polar bear is a much more specialized animal, almost entirely marine, semi-aquatic, focused mainly on predation. In terms of aggressiveness, a polar bear is, as a rule, somewhat calmer than a brown bear.

How are Russian, American and Norwegian polar bears different?

Scientists have identified more than 20 local populations of polar bears. On the territory of Russia, according to the Red Book of the Russian Federation, there are three of them: Barents Sea-Kara, Laptev and Chukotka-Alaska. Representatives of different populations differ from each other in various subtleties in morphology and genetics. For example, bears from the Chukchi-Alaskan population are larger than those from the Barents Sea.

Radio collars, once ordered by domestic researchers based on measurements taken in Chukotka, turned out to be too big for bears in Franz Josef Land.

However, there are no fundamental, global differences between bears in different parts no habitat.

What does "Umka" mean?

“Umky” means “polar bear” in Chukchi. In Eskimo it is called “nanuk”.

In this article we present the results of a study of the nutrition of brown bears in the Central part of European Russia using the example of several districts of the Tver and Novgorod regions, where a very large complex of biotechnical measures is being carried out aimed at increasing the number of brown bears.

The bear is an omnivorous animal, feeding on a variety of animals (from insects to moose and deer) and a variety of plant foods.

The size of its habitat depends on the abundance of food.

In forests rich in food, the animal can live on an area of 300 - 800 hectares.

In the mountains, as a rule, it migrates: starting in spring, it feeds in the valleys, where the snow melts earlier, then goes to the chars and alpine meadows, then gradually descends into the forest belt, when berries and nuts ripen here.

Often, for the first half of summer, a bear lives on one slope of a mountain, and for the second half, on another, tens of kilometers from the first (“Hunting in Russia” WiMo, 1992).

The climatic features of this strip of Russia in winter are known for their mildness. This contributes to the earlier awakening of bears from winter sleep.

The entire period of activity throughout the year is divided into four stages: early spring, spring, summer, autumn.

Having left the den, bears still have sufficient reserves of fat and are in no hurry to leave their winter refuge. For two weeks, they may not move further than 200 m from the den. This depends on the height of the snow cover in the forest.

Bears are very lethargic at this time. Having come out to a place well lit by the sun, they can freeze for a long time in one position, swaying and only occasionally looking in different directions.

Not far from the main den, there are usually several more bedding areas with bedding. When, finally, hunger makes itself felt, bears begin to wander in search of food and often anthills fall under their disfavor. The last to leave the dens are females with cubs born in winter.

To restore their strength, they need high-calorie food. In the early spring, the basis of their diet is food of animal origin. Bears have been repeatedly observed chasing litters wild boars and moose calves. On 16 thousand hectares (the area of the studied area) there are 17 attachments, which are regularly updated.

Visiting them begins around the beginning of April, with the exception of 2007. The first bear was observed at the bait on March 10 due to the abnormally warm winter.

Driving around the boundaries of the site, every now and then you come across traces of bears returning from their winter quarters. The number of bears visiting the baits increases every week.

As a rule, a bear does not throw away carrion it finds, especially if it is a large animal. But there is a fact when an animal, having fed once or twice, throws the carcass and leaves in the direction from which it came.

This was confirmed in the following. We laid out two fallen calves in different places. One is where traces of the observed bear are constantly found (the width of the palmar callus is 14 cm), the second is five kilometers to the south.

As a result, within three days the bear ate the bait, which lay in the place where its tracks were most often found. Then, after a three-day break, he found the second calf, ate the entrails and left.

The direction of the wind during the study changed from north to north-west, that is, it can be assumed that the bear simply walked around this area of the forest. A day later, he again came to the burial place of the first bait, although there was nothing left there except bones.

After a week, the bear did not appear at the second visit, but visited the remains of the first one regularly. One could assume that he felt the presence of another, more big bear and left. But during our observations, we did not come across any bears or mother bears with cubs in this area.

Having examined this area more carefully, we discovered a marker tree with old claw marks at a height of more than two meters.

The retreating bear confirmed the fact of the territorial attachment of the individuals.

Throughout the summer and autumn, its traces can be found along the roads in the vicinity of this tract. As a rule, bear cubs behave this way at the beginning of their independent life. They look for food where their mother took them in their first two years of life.

Both in the early spring and spring, and in the autumn periods, there is a very high activity in visiting the bait. In the spring, this is due to the replenishment of the lack of calories after winter sleep, and in the fall, with the replenishment of fat reserves before going to the den.

One adult male is capable of eating about 30 kg of meat at one time, and if you take into account that at least three individuals visit the bait, then you have to lay the bait two or even three times a week.

I would like to note that laying a bait of cattle has a positive effect on bear attacks on herds of cows. Over the seven years of the farm’s existence, no such facts have been recorded.

Bears are practically not picky about food of animal origin, but we decided to check what they prefer. Having buried a horse, a cow, an elk and a pig at the same depth (30 cm) and at a distance of about 3 meters from each other, they began to observe.

The bears ate the bait in the following sequence - the elk, horse, cow, pig were practically not touched, they only ate internal organs. In all cases, the internal organs and udders of cows are eaten first; they are the richest in biologically active substances and enzymes.

Later, when organizing bait hunts, when a bear worthy of becoming a trophy appeared, we restrained it with a bait of horses.

As noted above, bears, like most other animal species, have their own territories, which they mark with scratches on the bark of trees, usually coniferous trees.

This fact has been noted by researchers before. The area of an individual plot is from 5-15 to several tens of square kilometers (Mashkin V.I., 2003).

The bear is a vagabond, wandering in search of the areas richest in food, but almost always returning to spend the winter in the places where it was born. Any, even the most powerful, biotechnology is powerless here.

Every autumn we observe a massive exodus of bears outside the boundaries of the farm. Bears are characterized by changing biotopes throughout the year, and in some areas, seasonal migrations.

In the Urals, sometimes bears make transitions from the western to the eastern slopes in the fall, covering distances of up to 300 km. Changes in habitats are associated with changes in feeding conditions, with the massive appearance of blood-sucking insects, with earlier snowfall on slopes of certain exposures, etc. Movements can be caused forest fires or drought (Mashkin V.I., 2003).

Over the course of several years, I have had to observe, during visual surveys on oats in the fall and on bait in the spring, the behavior of bears when meeting each other. They have an age hierarchy and the right of the strong to be able to feed on, say, the same bait, but this, as a rule, occurs when there is a shortage of food.

Once I had to observe how, in an oat field of about three hectares, eleven bears of different age categories and a herd of nine wild boars were simultaneously feeding. At the edge of all feeding fields, as I already noted, bait is laid.

The bears did not react to each other in any way, only from time to time some of them rose on their hind legs to inspect the newcomers to the feeding field. They approached the bait one by one. After making sure that in once again one of the brothers had eaten, the next one came up.

Bears usually go out to feed at sunset, but the older and more cautious the animal is, the later it comes out. Repeatedly when driving around feeding fields, I had to observe feeding bears between 9 and 11 a.m., but these were young bears.

To determine daily activity For a long time I observed bears from observation towers located directly on feeding fields and sites in various hunting grounds of the Tver region in the Penovsky, Toropetsky, Selizharovsky, Firovsky, Andreapolsky districts, as well as the Marevsky district of the Novgorod region.

As a result of the research, it turned out that both in spring and autumn, bears visited feeding fields and areas in the period from 21 hours to 24 hours. This was followed by a break until four o’clock in the morning, and bears again appeared wanting to feed, but at that time of day there were no young bears to be seen.

The young began to appear around six o'clock in the morning. However, in the spring of 2005, instability was noticed in visiting the camp, and in all of the above areas.

More than 90% of the bears went out to lures reluctantly and after 12 o’clock at night or between 4 and 7 o’clock in the morning. For the period from 2000 to 2007, this was observed for the first time. This may be due to the fact that the winter was not very cold, and since the fall the bears have stored up a sufficient amount of fat.

After a successful spring bait hunt (early May), the male (palmar callus width 15 cm) had a subcutaneous layer of fat 8 cm thick on the seat.

The need for animal feed in the early spring continues until the appearance of plant feed. As a rule, this occurs at the beginning of May, and plants are still the basis of the bears’ diet.

This fact was previously noted by researchers in their works. At this time, bears on bait can be seen less and less often. In the spring of 2007, at the Zhukovskoye hunting farm in the Smolensk region, a bear with a palmar callus width of 18 cm carefully collected oats from the ground that had been sown in the food field.

In the spring, bears often eat various ballasts: stump rot, cereal rags, construction waste anthills.

At the same time, they eat spruce and pine needles, blueberry shoots and their roots, buds of aspen, linden, rowan, maple, willow, and sometimes chaga ( birch mushroom), as well as various sedges that melted from under the snow, gnawing the stems to the internodes, in the swamps - cotton grass and squat cranberries (V.S. Pazhetnov, 1990).

We have identified several major and minor species from different plant families that form the basis of the diet from spring to late autumn. These are mainly grasses, sedges and umbelliferae.

A study of bear excrement was carried out in the spring to determine the composition of feed.

The ratio of animal and plant feeds turned out to be almost the same. In the early spring, excrement consists of more than 95% of digested meat, the remaining 5% consists of tree buds, plant roots, spruce and pine needles and so-called ballast.

15 excrement samples collected from different locations on the farm were examined. Based on the structure of the remains of plant food, it turned out that preference is given to more juicy shoots, such as dissected hogweed (Heracleum sibiricum L.), angelica (Archangelica officinalis), angelica (Angelica silvestris), and common raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus).

These herbaceous plants and shrubs are united by their ability to stimulate and have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, especially since after a long stay in a state of winter sleep, in which neither the stomach nor intestines work, bears urgently need to restore the functions of these organs.

Looking ahead, I would like to note that fragments of these plants are found in excrement from early spring to autumn.

Number of plant species eaten by bears different months not the same. The minimum species diversity of plants in the diet of animals in April is 7% (cereals, sedges) of the total list of species eaten by animals. This is due to the beginning of the plant growing season, when the main food plants have not yet sprouted (Okaemov V.S., 2004).

As for mammals and ungulates, based on the structure and appearance of the hair found in excrement, these are wild boar (Sus scrofa), elk (Alces alces), badger (Meles meles), which may have died for some reason.

The remaining components of excrement (spruce needles, insects, mosses) are ballast.

BROWN BEAR A male brown bear can reach a length of 2.5 m and a body weight of up to 500-750 kg. In appearance, the brown bear is clumsy, although in reality it is very agile and dexterous: it can run fast, make big jumps, climb trees, and swim. He moves like a pacer, that is, he alternately steps on both right paws and then on his left paws. Leaning on the entire foot, it can rear up, stretching up to 3 m in height. A brown bear runs faster uphill than on level ground, since its hind legs are longer than its front ones. He walks through the forest carefully and almost silently. Unlike the polar bear, it avoids diving and plunges into the water, leaving its head outside. In quiet times, he walks slowly, placing his feet slightly inward, justifying the popular name “clubfooted.” Another name “honey-witch” is due to the fact that this animal loves honey very much and knows (knows) where to look for it. He climbs behind him tall trees in hollows with honeycombs of wild bees, often raids apiaries. According to the way of life, the brown bear is a crepuscular animal. During the day it hides in remote places of the taiga and only in the evening comes out in search of food. The forest provides him with abundant and varied food. At the beginning of summer, it eats young shoots, roots, bulbs, and later mushrooms, berries, acorns, and nuts. In the fall, it enters fields with oats or corn, where it causes more damage by crushing the ears and stems of plants. In the Caucasus, it visits groves of wild fruit trees, willingly eating pears and cherry plums; in Central Asia it eats pistachios, grapes, apricots, going out to their plantations. Sometimes it goes to the outskirts of large orchards, shaking apples and pears with ripe fruits. In the forest, it unravels ant heaps, peels off the bark from old stumps, hunting for bark beetles and other insects. Along the way, it eats eggs and chicks from nests on the ground, catches small rodents and frogs. During the course of fish in taiga rivers (in Kamchatka and the Far East), it catches it off the coast and eats it in large quantities. On occasion, it attacks moose, wild boar, reindeer, cows and horses. Often feeds on carrion. With the coming warm weather (in July) midges begin to rage in the taiga. Many mosquitoes, midges and other bloodsuckers cause severe suffering to animals. At this time, the bears cannot find a place for themselves because of the bites, they roll on the ground, scratch their faces with their paws until they bleed, and roar. Some go into the tundra, reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where the wind saves them from mosquitoes. By autumn, bears become fat, accumulating nutrients in their bodies for the period of winter starvation. Dens are made somewhere in a dry place, in a depression under a windbreak, an upturned stump with roots, in a rock crevice, etc. Males lie in a den separately from females. If in the summer a bear was poorly fed and not fat enough, then it wanders in search of food in the winter, becoming dangerous for large herbivores and even for humans. These are the so-called connecting rods. Most bears in a den fall into a state of winter sleep, without the need for food or drink. However, there is a widespread belief that bears, when in a den without food, suck their paws in order to extract nutritious juices from them and satisfy their hunger. In reality this is a misunderstanding, there is a different reason here. In bears, around February, old skin that has become rough over the summer peels off from the surface of the soles. The young, tender skin on the paws itches and freezes, so the bear licks the soles with a hot tongue, smacking his lips. That is why from the outside it seems that the bear is sucking its paw. In January - February, a female bear gives birth to 2-3 tiny cubs weighing about 0.5 kg each. They are blind, naked, helpless and in need of maternal care. The bear keeps the cubs warm on her belly among the fur, warming them with her hot breath. She feeds the cubs with thick milk, which she produces from fat reserves accumulated over the summer. With the onset of warmth, the grown-up cubs leave the den along with the mother bear and, under her supervision, bask in the sun and are fed with what can be found in the forest at that time (berries, tubers, worms, insects, etc.). The male bear stays away from the mother bear and does not take part in caring for the cubs, which cause the mother a lot of trouble. Having gained strength, they become active: they run, fight, fight, climb tree trunks, and frolic. The mother bathes the cubs in streams and lakes, lowering each one in turn into the water on the shallows, after grabbing the scruff of the neck with her teeth. Later they bathe themselves. Sometimes a she-bear keeps with her a cub from last year's litter, which becomes her assistant in raising the babies. This is the so-called pestun. He serves as a role model for the growing cubs. From him they learn to climb hollows for wild bees' honey, rake ant heaps and feast on ants and their larvae. If fights between cubs become violent, the pestun separates the mischief-makers and restores order. After spending the entire summer with the cubs, the she-bear lies down in a den with them in the fall, and the next year drives them away from her, starting a new breeding, which occurs only once every two years. Bears are afraid of humans and, sensing his scent, go into the deep thicket. Cases of attacks on humans are very rare. Brown bears have few enemies: sometimes they are wolves, in the Far East - tigers, but for them bears are strong opponents. Brown bears live 35-50 years. In the past, these animals were ordinary inhabitants of the forest zone, but as a result of intensive logging, plowing of fields and excessive hunting of bears in Russia, a little more than 100 thousand animals survived. They hunt bears mainly for delicious meat, healing, vitamin-rich fat and warm, although very heavy, skin, which is valued relatively cheaply. The protection of some subspecies of brown bears has become necessary.

Days in the northern hemisphere are getting longer and warmer. Of course, people are rejoicing at the coming warmth. However, the same cannot be said about polar bears. Animals feel great at temperatures of -45 degrees and below. But they experience discomfort from overheating. In addition, an increase in average temperatures creates the preconditions for a reduction in the population of big predator planets.

What is happening in the Arctic today? Polar bears feed exclusively on the meat of mammals, mainly pinnipeds: seals, seals; in addition, the bear eats carrion and what the sea throws up. Sometimes, when he is especially hungry, he feeds on rodents, moss and berries.

The reduction in ice cover in the Arctic seas and changes in the age structure of sea ice are forcing polar bears to spend more time on the coast and on islands. Staying on the shore for a long time, polar bears are deprived of access to their main source of food - seals that live on sea ice, and are also at high risk of collision with a person, as a result of which they can be shot.

Today, according to scientists, there are 20-25 thousand individuals left on earth. Is it a lot or a little? Should we preserve this species? And if they should, then why? Let's figure it out.

So, are there many polar bears left? NO! Their number is extremely small. And it continues to decline, despite the protection of the animal and prohibitions on its production. Just one fact. Between 2004 and 2007, out of 80 human-tagged polar bear cubs, only two survived. Previously, at least 50% of newborns managed to survive.

The answer to the next question has already become obvious. We must, we simply must, protect this species from extinction. And this should be done not because polar bears are cute, or so that our descendants will see them in person and not in photographs. If the polar bear disappears, the Arctic ecosystem will also be under threat. As we already know, the polar bear’s diet consists of various marine animals, mainly pinnipeds. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that the population of these species will increase sharply after the disappearance of their main enemy. But the number of fish living in the waters of the Arctic Ocean may decrease, as sea predators will become many times larger, which means they will need more food. And this will be a huge problem for both animals and people.

On the other side, polar bears provide food for small predators that are unable to feed themselves by hunting. If a bear manages to kill a walrus, then first of all it devours the skin and fat, the rest of the carcass only in case of severe hunger. The remains of the prey are usually eaten by arctic foxes. This means that without the help of intelligence, arctic foxes may be on the verge of extinction or even die.

Thus, people must do everything to keep the polar bear alive.

What steps is Russia taking in this direction?

In Russia, polar bear hunting has been completely prohibited since 1957; this species is listed in the Red Book. Other Arctic countries began introducing hunting restrictions much later.

Since 2010, the Russian Geographical Society has supported the Polar Bear project. Its goal is the conservation and study of polar bears in the Russian Arctic, the development of non-invasive methods for collecting biological material (shed guard hairs, excrement) for genetic studies of the population structure of the species in the region.

By the way, the study of these animals by Russian scientists is the most humane thing in the world. Thus, in the USA, to study polar bears, a fang is still removed from a euthanized animal. What is it like for a predator to live without tools for hunting?

The Russian Geographical Society is constantly expanding the range of polar bear research: first it was the Barents Sea population, in 2013 an aerial census of the Chukchi-Alaskan population was carried out for the first time, and in 2014 work began on the coast of Taimyr.

The work is being carried out in collaboration with the Council on Marine Mammals, the Russian Arctic National Park, the Taimyr Nature Reserves, as well as the A.N. Institute of Ecology and Evolution. Severtsov RAS.

On March 22-24 this year, Russian scientists met with American colleagues in San Diego. During the meeting, a document was signed on a joint study of polar bears in Chukotka and Alaska in the period 2016-2018.

Thus, for many years Russia has been concerned about preserving the population of the northern predator. We understand that saving polar bears means preserving the Arctic ecosystem, and, consequently, the Earth’s ecosystem.

Well, who will now say that Russia is pursuing only its own utilitarian goals in the Arctic?