Mr Polar Bear welcomes you to the Ice classroom. Here, you’ll learn how to walk and hunt like “Nanook”, as the polar bear is called by people who live at the North Pole. Hunting is becoming ever more difficult because of the warming of the earth; the ice is becoming thinner and thinner. And then polar bears have the disadvantage that they weigh about 600 kg!
The soles of a polar bear have little anti-slip cushions, with fur in between. This ensures that they can crawl silently and without slipping. For example, they crawl to a hole in the ice, where seals come up for a breath of air. Because the ice is becoming increasingly thinner, it also starts to crack more. Try to walk silently on the ice to the seal’s breathing hole. If the ice cracks, then you are out, but you can try again.
Photo: Yvonne Compier
