Why does polar bear fur look white if the hairs are actually transparent?

Each hair is hollow and transparent; the fur appears white because it scatters visible light, similar to how snow appears white.

Why is climate change such a threat to polar bears?

Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals. As Arctic sea ice shrinks and breaks up earlier each year, bears have less time and opportunity to hunt, threatening their survival.

How many polar bears are left in the wild?

The global population is estimated at roughly 22,000 to 31,000 individuals, and the IUCN classifies the species as Vulnerable.

Polar Bearホッキョクグマ

Ursus maritimusVU— Vulnerable

The polar bear is the largest living bear and land carnivore, ranging across the Arctic sea ice of Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Svalbard. Its transparent, hollow fur appears white through light scattering, and it relies almost entirely on hunting ringed seals from the ice. Sea ice loss driven by climate change is its primary threat, with a 2008 study projecting that two-thirds of the world's polar bears could vanish by 2050; the IUCN currently lists the species as Vulnerable.

Polar Bear (reference photo) — Photo: Alan Wilson / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Carnivora / Ursidae Source
Size: Body length: males 200–250 cm, females 180–200 cm
Weight: Males 300–800 kg (average 385–410 kg), females 150–300 kg
Lifespan: Wild: 25–30 years
Diet: Carnivore Carnivorous, preying mainly on ringed seals as well as bearded seals and walruses
Distribution: Found across the Arctic in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia, and the Svalbard Archipelago. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Its fur is actually transparent and hollow, appearing white because it scatters incoming light. Source
Polar bears are thought to have diverged from a common ancestor with brown bears roughly 150,000 years ago, evolving highly specialized adaptations to Arctic life. Source
A 2008 study projected that two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by 2050 due to climate-driven sea ice loss. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 18

Polar Bearホッキョクグマ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

OJI ZOOHyogo3 minutes on foot west from Oji-Koen Station on the Hankyu line.

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Oga Suizokukan GaoAkitaOpened in 2004

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Tokushima ZooTokushima

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Obihiro DoubutsuenHokkaidoFrom Obihiro Station, take the Tokachi Bus (Route 70, bound for Ozora Danchi) for about 18 minutes to the Dobutsuen-mae stop, then walk about 300 m; or take the Takushoku Bus for about 16 minutes to the Midorigaoka 6-chome Hakubutsukan Iriguchi stop, then walk about 600 m.

Tobe Zoological Park of Ehime PrefectureEhimeOpened in 1988

Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1951

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

Shuunanshitokuyama DoubutsuenYamaguchiOpened in 1960

Sendaishiyagiyama Doubutsu KouenMiyagiTake the Sendai Subway Tozai Line to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station; the zoo is right by the elevator from Central Exit 1 (about 12 minutes from Sendai Station).

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

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