Perhaps one of the most popular items of small children worldwide, the white fluffy stuffed teddy bear, has its real life counterpart in the polar bear cub. What kid wouldn’t want to have one of these? But it would too hard on the parents to provide the right environment, and perhaps a little dangerous. Life is tough for young polar bears out there in the Arctic circle. Even with their thick fur and blubber for the cold, their claws and hunting skills, and their ability to swim, the bears are threatened with extinction. It is a harsh environment out there and there are many predators and dangers, not to mention the ice is disappearing. The mother takes good care of the cubs while she can. She digs a den in the ice and snow to give birth and later watches over them for about two and a half years before they can go it alone. Bears live to be 20 or so and start mating after about 4 years.
