It’s International Polar Bear Day
February 27 is International Polar Bear Day!
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Canada Post release October 27, 1998
Designer Steven Slipp
Engraver was Martin Mörck
If you examine the lines of text just below the DA in Canada, you will see two things:
1 the print reads “URSUS MARITIMUS” which is a micro security print feature.
2. Just behind the clouds you can just see polar bear footprints.
1998 can be found in just below and a bit left of the bear’s hind paw.
Polar bears are popular motifs and have appeared about 14 times on stamps in Canada alone. Their first appearance was on April 1, 1953, with this stamp illustrated by John Alexander Crosby and engraved by Silas Robert Allen:
- Largest bear in the world and they can 40km an hour, so forget about outrunning them.
- They have 3 eyelids, with the 3rd evolving to protect them from the harsh Arctic conditions.
- oldest fossil remains date to 100,000 years ago.
- Habitat: Arctic Circle, spending time both on land and in the water. They are powerful swimmers, able to swim vast distances while hunting for food.
- They eat mostly ringed and bearded seals.
- Polar bears have a thick layer of blubber and dense fur for insulation, large paws for efficient swimming, and sharp claws and powerful jaws for hunting.
- Adult males are generally larger than females, with males weighing between 900 to 1600 pounds and measuring 8 to 9 feet in length.
- Their fur appears white, which provides camouflage in their snowy habitat. However, their skin underneath is black to absorb and retain heat from the sun.
- Polar bears are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, primarily due to the loss of their sea ice habitat caused by climate change.
- Female polar bears give birth to one to three cubs, usually in December or January, after a gestation period of about eight months. The cubs stay with their mother for approximately two years.
- In the wild, polar bears typically live 15 to 18 years, though some can reach their early 30s. They face threats from human activities, such as pollution and hunting, in addition to climate change.
- Conservation Challenges: Climate change and the resulting loss of sea ice are significant threats to polar bears, affecting their ability to hunt, travel, and find mates. Conservation efforts focus on mitigating climate change and protecting their habitats to ensure their long-term survival.
- There’s a polar bear called Betty White and you can track her (and many other big white bears) at Polar Bears International | Polar Bear Tracker
Betty White’s Travels around Hudson’s Bay, Canada Date Collared: Nov 1, 2022 Distance Traveled: 2568 km
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