Hunting
Posted in CSR
  • More predatory than other bears (less omnivorous).
  • Locate birth lairs and breathing holes of Ringed Seals by smell and sound.
    • Approach slowly to minimize their own sound.
    • May break into lair immediately or wait motionless for several hours for seal to return.
    • Studies on polar bear hearing of bears raised in managed care indicate that “auditory cues play an important role” (Cushing et al 1988)
    • Swim underwater to stalk seals lying at the edge of an ice floe.
  • Hunting in summer months: 77% still-hunting, 23% stalking.
  • Hunting in winter and early spring: almost all hunting is still-hunting (far more successful than stalking).
  • Small size of major prey probably eliminates any advantage in group hunting
    • Large numbers of bears scavenge together at a whale carcass or human garbage dump.
  • Consume fat of prey first (to get the most calories quickly).
  • Considerable competition between Polar Bears for a kill; larger bears will run off smaller bears.
  • Wash and lick themselves while feeding; spend up to 15 minutes grooming afterward.

Source: San Diego Zoo wildlife Alliance Library

Manager’s Office Team

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