Sila Encyclopedia


source: Environment Canada

Polar Bear

Polar bears (nanuq in inuktitut) are the world's largest land carnivores. Adult males weigh from 400 to 600 kg (900 to 1300 lb) and measure 2.4 to 2.6 meters. Population estimates range from 16,000 to 35,000, with about 60% in Canada. Polar bears are well adapted to live in the cold. They have a thick coat of fur on their skin. They also have a thick layer of blubber under the skin. These act as insulators of heat. Stiff hairs under their soles keep them warm and also increase the amount of friction thus preventing them from slipping on ice.

Related Items: Arctic Char . Arctic Tern . Avatak (harpoon float) . Bearded Seal . Beluga . Dogsled . Dog Team . Igloo . Jigging Stick . Kavikak . Niksik . Polar Bear . Rifle . Ringed Seal . Unaaq (harpoon) . Walrus .

This site uses the Euphemia font to display Inuktitut syllabics. You can download it for free here.
This site requires the Adobe Flash Player to view multimedia content. You can download it for free here.
This site requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader to display some content. You can download it for free here.

Produced with the financial participation of
Canada logo Canadian Heritage logo Telefilm Logo