This is your chance to see polar bears up close.

As of May 2008 the U.S, lists the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Russia considers the polar bear a species of concern.

What’s happening? Today, scientists have concluded that the threat to polar bears is ecological change in the Arctic from global warming. Polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases, denning. Summer ice loss in the Arctic now equals an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined.

Polar bears range from Russia to Alaska, from Canada to Greenland, and onto Norway's Svalbard archipelago—the five polar bear nations. Biologists estimate there are 20,000 to 25,000 bears. About 60% of those live in Canada.

Polar Bear Basics

The polar bear, Ursus maritimus, or the sea bear, evolved about 200,000 years ago from brown bear ancestors. They are superbly adapted for survival in the Far North.

Polar bears range throughout the Arctic in areas where they hunt seals at openings in sea ice called leads. Five nations have polar bear populations: the United States (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway.

Polar bears are the world's largest land predators. They top the food chain in the Arctic, where they prey primarily on ringed seals.

Polar bears are the largest land carnivore and are superbly adapted to their polar environment. Their white fur hides their black skin and they are so perfectly efficient at conserving heat that they are almost invisible to infrared photography.

Adult male polar bears weigh from 775 to more than 1,500 pounds. Females normally weigh 330 to 550 pounds.

Females usually bear two cubs. Single cubs and triplets also occur depending on the health and condition of the mother. Cubs stay with their moms for up to 2-1/2 years.

Highly Intelligent

Polar bears are just as smart as apes, according to research scientist Alison Ames. Their success at hunting seals may be a sign of their brain power.

This is learned behavior and reveals that polar bears are very intelligent animals. They are highly cognitive creatures that top the food chain in polar regions. You have to be very clever to do that. Hunting and trapping a seal is no easy matter.

Ames has watched bears smash open ice blocks in order to extract embedded fish. And she has seen bears stack heaps of plastic pipe that they later knock over in elaborate games.

Myths and Missconceptions

Covering its nose. Contrary to a legend among native hunters, polar bears do not cover their black noses while lying in wait for seals. Canadian biologist Ian Stirling, who has spent several thousand hours watching polar bears hunt, has never seen this behavior. Nor have other scientists.

Left pawed. Great white bears are not left-pawed. Scientists observing the animals haven't noticed a preference. In fact, polar bears seem to use their right and left paws equally.

Use of tools. Polar bears do not use tools, including blocks of ice, to kill their prey. Scientist Ian Stirling believes that this idea may have come about because, after failing to catch a seal, a frustrated and angry polar bear may kick the snow, slap the ground—or hurl chunks of ice.

Hollow hair conducts UV light. A polar bear's hollow hairs do not conduct ultraviolet light to its black skin. This theory was tested—and disproved—by physicist Daniel Koon.