Friday, April 5, 2013

Polar Bears are Cute...But They Will Eat You


 
Hey, what’s with the fuzzy soft picture? It’s a screen shot, a picture of a computer monitor. And the Polar Bear, what’s he holding? He’s holding a carrot. There are no carrots being grown in the Arctic, but what you are looking at is a snapshot from live streaming video at the San Diego Zoo.

Polar Bears have now more than ever captured our imaginations. It may be because of the increased number of television documentaries on Polar Bears. Perhaps they are more visible because of the widely advertised adventure travel packages that can take you to Churchill, Canada. These trips look like great fun. You travel to the edge of the Arctic and see these creatures in the wild, up-close in comfortable safe protective vehicles.

But I have a feeling that most of you reading this blog will probably not be making that expensive trip to northern Canada. You can still get close to these magnificent creatures through protective glass, moats and distance by visiting your local zoo. They are fascinating; observing them eat, watching them playfully swim, watching them chase other polar bears in their enclosure and constantly sniffing the air maybe for an imagined next meal.

And if you can’t do that, I suggest you go to one of the polar bear internet streaming websites now available on the web. Of course, I would also suggest going to Amazon or Barnes&Noble and downloading a copy of “Visit the Zoo, vol. X.” You will find a chapter in that book with excellent photos and facts about these magnificent creatures. Here is a couple of interesting tidbits:

Largest Polar Bear on record weighed 2,120 pounds and stood erect over 12 feet.

Under that thick coat of fur they have another 3 inches of fat to keep them warm.

An opportunistic hunter they will eat just about anything, but they love seal meat.

Although born stark white to blend into their surroundings, their fur yellows with age

And yes, if you, a human being, were to stroll up to one of these powerful animals, either in their zoo enclosures or in the wild, there is a better than average chance that with one swipe they would kill you. And if not interrupted or stopped, they could very well eat you.

Finally, I really do hope you check out my “Visit the Zoo” 12-volume series available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Besides your own gratification the book series is a wonderful way to introduce children and young adults with those great facts about over 120 animals while you are strolling around your local zoo or sitting on your living room couch, reading your smartphone, tablet, laptop or ereader.

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