Why can't polar bears live in other cold regions?

Author : Unwild Planet

We are sure you have often seen those social media pictures of a cute white, chubby cub napping calmly on their mumma bear's velvety back amidst all the snow. Polar bears are one of the major attractions at the North Pole apart from the midnight sun and Arora. But have you ever wondered why they’re only found in the north, not in another cold region, or even at the South Pole? Well, let’s find out!

Where can you find polar bears?

Most polar bears' habitats are around the Arctic Circle. They depend on sea ice as they prey on their primary food seal in the icy ocean. You can find the white bears’ population in the five ranges of countries in the Arctic Circle: Alaska (the U.S.), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and the northern islands of Norway, Svalbard.

Polar bears don't have a fixed territory. Sea ice is subject to change, and so are the polar bears' habitats. They roam across the Arctic's four distinct ecoregions or sea ice areas. Studies show that a polar bear can travel a few hundred kilometers from its primary habitat. However, a satellite-tracked female bear was found trekking about 4,796 km from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay to Greenland, to Canada's Ellesmere Island, and back to Greenland.

When is the best time to see the Polar Bears?

Although you can see polar bears all year round if you’re lucky, the spring and summer months are particularly convenient for a polar bear expedition.

Where are the best places to see the Polar Bears?

The answer to this question is tricky. As polar bears depend on the sea ice, they keep changing their habitats through the seasons. So, various regions around the Arctic can have better chances to spot polar bears at different times of the year. For instance:

1. Norwighwan Svalbard is one of the best places to view polar bears from May to August. But after that, they migrate further north as the ice starts melting.

2. Hudson Bay of Canada is one of the most popular places to watch polar bears. The expedition starts from a small town called Churchill, known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World”. The best time to view the polar bears from here is during October and November.

Why can’t polar bears be found in other cold places?

So, till this, it is clear that polar bears can only be found around the Arctic. But if only extreme cold weather and snow are the concern, why not Earth's other cold regions? The other cold part of Canada or the high altitude of the Himalayas? Well, the significant reasons are as follows:

Polar bears are dependent on sea ice found in the open water. These vast white carnivores’ main diet is seals and walruses, which can be found in frozen seas. When the seals and walruses come to the sea coast to breathe air, it’s the hunting time for the polar bears. Polar bears also can have whale carcasses. Seals and other marine animals are not found in the mainland, cold places apart from the arctic sea shores.
Polar bears are a relatively newer breed that evolved from brown bears to sustain extreme cold weather and floating ice crests on the sea. Both physically and physiologically, they evolved into huger and sharper carnivores whose thick fur coats are meant for prey in ice and sustaining in icy weather. So, any mainland winter place would fail to maintain such severe weather throughout the year, and melting ice and seasonal snow would occur. Thus, polar bears can’t make another habitat.

Can you find polar bears in Antarctica?

Now, there is a pole-apart sibling of the Arctic: Antarctica at the south pole. Antarctica resembles the weather conditions in the North Pole. So, can you spot polar bears there? The answer is NO.

Scientists have different theories regarding why polar bears are not inhabited in Antarctica. They concluded that Antarctica is isolated from the rest of the world.
Though polar bears are great swimmers and can cover long distances in the ocean, migrating from the north to the south pole through tropical regions is difficult for them. Moreover, Antarctica doesn’t have enough marine life to support the polar bears. Also, having the white bears there would affect Antarctica's food chain by destroying the native penguin and seal populations at the top of the food chain.

A polar bear expedition amidst the white realm of the Arctic is a surreal and once-in-a-lifetime experience. In Unwild Planet, we meticulously craft the expedition in a comfortable and eco-friendly way, keeping the essence of the adventure intact. Contact us today for your next polar bear expedition.