Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada is a major denning area for polar bears. The females dig a snow cave and enter for the winter. If there has been enough food and she has put on enough weight, she will have a successful pregnancy and give birth to one or two, or sometimes even three cubs. Standing out on the tundra for five days in minus 35 degrees and 90 km winds, waiting for a cub to emerge from the birthing den for the first time, was one of the great thrills of my life. Due to global warming and a shorter feeding season, pregnancy rates are dangerously low and polar bears are predicted to be extinct by 2050.
Polar Bear Cub
