Survival challenges for polar bear cubs in the Arctic
Survival challenges for polar bear cubs in the Arctic
A female polar bear taking her cubs to the sea to search for food in the Canadian Arctic.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
A family of polar bears in the Canadian arctic - they emerged from the den just a few days ago and the female is heading for the sea ice with her three young cubs.
The mother has not eaten for five months and is desperately hungry. The smallest cub can’t keep up the pace and hitches a ride on her back. But there is a price to pay for the good view. Sometimes it can be more than a delicate balancing act. It's a long walk - two days to reach her hunting grounds on the sea ice. But at last it’s time for a much-needed refreshment stop. The female is drawing on her last reserves to produce the fat-rich milk her triplets need. Most polar bears only give birth to one or two young, and with three hungry mouths to feed, she's tested to the limit.
Fierce competition often breaks out among the siblings for the best position. Their mother does not intervene. The chances of all three cubs surviving are slim anyway. In these harsh conditions, it’s survival of the fittest. The smallest cub is already weak. Its siblings seldom allow it to suckle.
Even though the youngest has not fed yet, the female has to move on. If she does not get a meal herself soon, none of her cubs will make it. Only the next few days will tell whether the smallest of her triplets can survive.
The mother has not eaten for five months and is desperately hungry. The smallest cub can’t keep up the pace and hitches a ride on her back. But there is a price to pay for the good view. Sometimes it can be more than a delicate balancing act. It's a long walk - two days to reach her hunting grounds on the sea ice. But at last it’s time for a much-needed refreshment stop. The female is drawing on her last reserves to produce the fat-rich milk her triplets need. Most polar bears only give birth to one or two young, and with three hungry mouths to feed, she's tested to the limit.
Fierce competition often breaks out among the siblings for the best position. Their mother does not intervene. The chances of all three cubs surviving are slim anyway. In these harsh conditions, it’s survival of the fittest. The smallest cub is already weak. Its siblings seldom allow it to suckle.
Even though the youngest has not fed yet, the female has to move on. If she does not get a meal herself soon, none of her cubs will make it. Only the next few days will tell whether the smallest of her triplets can survive.