bear

The largest carnivorous land mammals on Earth, polar bears certainly make for a spectacular sight with their staggering size and wonderfully white fur. While seeing one up close and personal is an awe-inspiring experience, hardy adventurers will need to trek to the isolated world of the Arctic Circle if they are to stand any chance at spotting one in the wild.

Although they are born on land, polar bears spend most of their lives on the vast and ever-changing sea ice, roaming over snow, ice and open water in search of seals – their main prey and food source. Much larger than females, adult males can weigh up to a huge 700 kilos and reach a length of three meters, with the beautiful bears living up to 25 years in the wild.

Classified as a vulnerable species, they are reckoned to number between 20,000 and 30,000 in total. So where do Polar Bears Live in the wild? In this article you’ll discover that these majestic mammals are found in just five nations that surround the Arctic Ocean.

1. Greenland

The world’s largest island, Greenland lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans with almost all of its rugged landscape coated in a shimmering sheet of ice. Very sparsely populated, it boasts unspoiled snowy scenery with glaciers and fjords found alongside endless tundra and ice floes.

Due to its wintery realm, Greenland is home to many of the world’s remaining polar bears with most of them found in the northernmost parts of the isle. This, however, is a very inaccessible area with much of the remote region protected as part of Northeast Greenland National Park; remarkably the largest national park in the world.

As such, the best chance of seeing the incredible creatures in the wild is to take an epic Arctic cruise along the east coast of the island. Although sightings of polar bears are still relatively rare due to the staggering size of the region in which they hunt and roam, you’ll certainly pass spellbinding scenery and jaw-dropping views on the trip. The undoubted highlight, however, is finally spotting one of them and their off-white fur against the snowy landscapes and ice all around them.

Despite, or perhaps because, of their elusive nature, polar bears have long played a prominent role in the island’s culture, traditions and heritage. While its indigenous Inuit peoples have hunted and even worshiped polar bears for millennia, the magnificent mammal now occupies pride of place on Greenland’s coat of arms.

2. Svalbard

Famed for being home to more polar bears than people, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard can be found midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. With most of its isolated and inhospitable islands coated in glaciers and snow, it is no wonder that the archipelago is home to thousands of polar bears. As well as being Svalbard’s iconic symbol, these awe-inspiring animals are also its main tourist attraction.

One of the northernmost places on the planet where people live, it is only the main island of Spitsbergen that has any small settlements and infrastructure to speak of. As polar bears are so prevalent in the region, inhabitants and tourists alike are required to carry a rifle with them at all times for protection in case they encounter one of the powerful predators.

From these secluded settlements, you can arrange to go on boat trips around the nearby islands that are mostly made up of national parks and nature reserves. The best time of year to visit is between May and September when the ships can push their way through the melting ice and reach the snow-clad areas and dense drift ice in which so many bears live, roam, and hunt.

While some of Spitsbergen’s fjords, such as Liefdefjord and Storfjord, seem to have small, stable populations of polar bears, important denning areas can be found on Edgeoya and Hopen, with the highest density being on Kongsoya.

Besides being one of the best places to see polar bears, Svalbard boasts stunning scenery with whales, walruses, and reindeer also regularly sighted.

3. Alaska

The only state in the US to be home to all three species of bear, Alaska has long been renowned for its vast stretches of rugged and remote wilderness. Fittingly nicknamed ‘the last frontier’, its endless forests, fiery volcanoes and towering mountain ranges slowly give way to the tundra and permafrost of Arctic Alaska.

It is here, in the state’s far north that most of its polar bears reside and roam, although they have been found as far south as St. Lawrence Island during particularly cold and icy winters. While they range over a wide area, its two main populations can be found along Alaska’s northern coastline in the Southern Beaufort Sea and in the Chukchi Sea off western Alaska.

While they spend most of their lives out on the sea ice hunting seals, many of the massive mammals spend the ice-free months between August and October on or around the scenic and secluded Barter Island. During this time many people visit the isle’s Inupiat village of Kaktovik. From here you can charter small planes to fly above the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and spot polar bears prowling about from the air.

The only other place to see polar bears is at Utqiagvik which lies at the northwestern most tip of Alaska. To catch a glimpse of the mighty mammals, many people take boat tours or charter flights out over the surrounding pack ice. Polar bears can sometimes actually be spotted just outside your window though on the rare occasion that they venture into town and pad about the small settlement.

4. Russia

With such a huge swathe of the country’s colossal landmass lying in the icy Arctic Circle, it should come as no surprise to learn that Russia is home to several significant polar bear populations. Of these, the largest and most well-known are found on and around the remote Wrangel Island in the Russian Far East and on the isolated and icy archipelago of Franz Josef Land.

Renowned for having the highest density of dens in the world, Wrangel Island is often referred to as the ‘polar bear maternity ward’. Remarkably enough, more than 500 mothers give birth to cubs here each year with most of the island protected as part of a nature reserve. As it lies in a very remote spot between the Chukchi and East Siberian seas, Wrangel Island is very hard to reach with only a few tour companies running excursions to see the polar bears.

The other main place to see polar bears in their natural habitat is at Franz Josef Land which lies 900 kilometers below the North Pole. Home to a huge and healthy population of polar bears, its 192 inhospitable islands are only inhabited by a few hardy military personnel. Now protected as part of the Russian Arctic National Park, the archipelago boasts wonderful wilderness and wildlife with its glaciers only being accessible by boat.

Besides these two main population centers, smaller groups of polar bears can be found scattered along the country’s long Arctic Ocean coastline. While they are rated as rare in the Laptev Sea, both the adjacent Taymyr Peninsula and Kara Sea are home to many more of the majestic creatures.

5. Canada

The second-largest country in the world, Canada is renowned for its vast untouched wilderness that includes everything, from mighty mountains and verdant forests to lovely lakes and a staggeringly long coastline. Fittingly nicknamed the Great White North, it boasts massive icy Arctic areas and an immense maritime terrain and is impressively believed to be home to between 60 to 80% of all the Earth’s polar bears.

One of the best places to spot them is in the nation’s newest, largest and most northerly territory of Nunavut which stretches from the west coast of Hudson Bay up to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The beautiful bay’s scenic shoreline is known as ‘Polar Bear Alley’ as each autumn the world’s southernmost polar bear population slowly heads north in search of sea ice and seals.

Although watching them migrate is an amazing experience, it is the neighboring town of Churchill in Manitoba that is the undisputed ‘polar bear capital of the world’. For decades tourists and polar bears alike have flocked to its remote reaches with thousands of the latter converging on its shores every autumn. Once sturdy enough ice has formed on Hudson Bay, the awesome animals set off in search of ringed seals – their main food source.

While many polar bear populations around the Arctic sadly seem to be in decline due to climate change and encroachments on their territory, Churchill’s may, in fact, be increasing. Thanks to the unspoilt scenery and the inaccessibility and isolation of the region, Canada’s vast Arctic reaches are the perfect place for polar bears to live in peace in the wild.

Wow! These bears are huge! They’re not the teddy bears you played with as a kid. Some may look cute and cuddly but these big furry creatures definitely aren’t. Keep your distance, especially if you encounter one in the wild. Most of us will generally see them only in zoos though, and these largest bear species of the world are definitely worth a visit. You probably won’t find all the bears in all the zoos; your best chance of seeing some bears may be in its native country.

12. Sun Bear

flickr/tontantravel

The sun bear is native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, it’s known as the Malayan honey bear due to its fondness for the sweet sticky substance. The sun bear is the smallest bear, topping out at about 176 pounds and about five feet tall. They have short black fur with light-colored muzzles, with the white area extending above the eyes. The bear has powerful jaws and claws. It is declining in numbers due to deforestation of its habitat.

11. Giant panda

flickr/Chi King

The giant panda is the model for cute and cuddly. It’s roly-poly with a white face and body surrounded by black fur around its neck, legs and ears. Unlike other bears, the panda is basically vegetarian, with bamboo making up 99 percent of its diet. The panda is native to the mountains of southcentral China, particularly Sichuan Province. These chubby bears have a girth up to six feet in diameter and weigh up to 250 pounds. They are an endearing symbol of China.

10. Sloth bear

The sloth bear, which evolved from the brown bear in the Pleistocene period, is native to the Indian subcontinent. It’s a nocturnal insect-eating bear with a lower lip designed to suck the bugs in. The sloth bear is lankier than the Asian black bear, with longer fur, pale muzzles with bulbous snouts and white claws. They weigh up to 290 pounds and can be as high as 6 feet. They have been known to attack humans who invade their territory.

9. Asian black bear

Asian black bears don’t like humans very much, understandable since man hunts them for body parts and traditional medicines. They’re found in mountainous regions of Asia, from Taiwan and northeastern China to the northern Indian subcontinent and the Russian Far East. The Asian black bear also is known as moon bear or white-chested bear because of the V or half-moon shaped white fur on their chest. They’re a medium-sized bear (average 6 feet tall and 300 pounds) that resembles prehistoric bears. They walk upright more than other bears.

8. Spectacled bear

The spectacled bear got its name because rings around its eyes make it look like it’s wearing eye glasses. A medium-sized bear, the spectacled bear is the only bear native to South America. Although it’s considered a meat eater, meat makes up only about 5 percent of the spectacled bear’s diet. Its fur is generally black, but can also be brown or reddish shades. It can be found in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains, mainly in South America’s northern and western regions.

7. American black bear

The American black bear is the smallest bear species on the North American continent, but is the most commonly found anywhere from Alaska to Florida and from California to Canada’ Maritime Provinces.. They prefer forested habitat and sometimes attached themselves to human communities because of the easy availability of food – they are the garbage dump scavengers. Maybe that’s where they learned to open screw-top jars. The American black bear evolved from the sun bear thousands of years ago.

6. Eurasian brown bear

The Eurasian brown bear also is known as the European brown bear where it can be found in the mountainous regions of northern Europe, but as far south as the Pyrenees. The largest population can be found in the Siberian forests. The bear was hunted to extinction in Britain by 1000 AD. Ancient Romans used to watch these bears fight in arenas. The bear sports long shaggy hair in various shades of brown. This bear was the inspiration for the names of two constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

5. Grizzly bear

They don’t make scary movies about this bear for nothing. The grizzly bear’s Latin name, Ursus horriblis,means “terrifying bear.” The grizzly also is known as the silvertip bear because its gray-tipped hair, and sometimes as the North American brown bear, as it’s the same species. Whatever you call it, it’s ferocious and huge – males weigh almost 800 pounds and stand more than 6 feet tall. Grizzlies range in color from blond to almost black, but typically are brown. They have a distinguishing hump on their shoulders.

4. Ussuri brown bear

flickr/nAok0

The Ussuri brown bear is one of the largest brown bears, and is sometimes known as the black grizzly. They are indigenous to Russia northeast Asia. On the Shiretoko Peninsula on Japan’s Hokkaido Island, females with cubs stay near fishermen, reportedly to avoid adult male bears. Their population is declining in northeast China where they’re hunted for body parts, but they’re considered national monuments in North Korea. They’ve been known to attack and even kill humans, while they themselves are occasionally turned into dinner by Siberian tigers.

3. Kamchatka brown bear

wikipedia/Robert F. Tobler

The Kamchatka brown bear, the largest bear in Eurasia, is basically found in the Kamchatka area of Russia and surrounding islands as well as Alaska’s Saint Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. It’s one big bear, sometimes standing as high as 9 feet and weighing almost 1,500 pounds. It is believed to be the ancestor of the Kodiak bear. Depending on the season, they dine on berries, nuts, and, preferably, fish they catch themselves. They rarely attack humans, but are trophy bear for Russian hunters.

2. Kodiak bear

The Kodiak bear, the largest brown bear in the world, is native to Alaska’s Kodiak islands. Big doesn’t begin to describe its size: some weigh 1,500 pounds and almost 10 feet tall when standing upright, even though they eat the same foods as other brown bears. They are usually brown but can be golden; young bears have a white ring around their necks for a few years. And, yes, they do attack humans, though humans are more prone to attack them.

1. Polar bear

The polar bear, along with the Kodiak bear, is the largest bear species in the world. It’s the same size as the Kodiak bear, only it’s white instead of brown. The polar bear lives primarily north of the Arctic Circle, where they’ve adapted to live in the frozen north. They’re born on land but spend most of their life on sea ice, with seals making up the bulk of their diet. They’re considered a vulnerable species since climate change is melting their habitat.

5 Places Where Polar Bears Live in the Wild