At this time of year. Polar bears on average succeed only once in 20 hunts.
If the hunter is skinny like this one, that may not be often enough.
All she can do is keep trying. To prevent her scent betraying her.
She makes a wide sweep to get downwind of the seal. Getting close.
She's now right behind the seal. Incredibly, she caught the seals underwater.
It's only small, but even so, its blubber alone will contain
100,000 calories. Enough to sustain this bear for a week.
And in that time, she might even catch another one. But this can't go on forever
as summer continues, temperatures are rising. Each hunt requires more energy,
draining the bears of their reserves.
Polar bears are apex predators of the Arctic, perfectly adapted to hunting on both land and ice. When it comes to hunting seals, they often employ stealth and patience to ambush their prey.
In the Arctic, polar bears may wait for hours near breathing holes or seal dens, patiently scanning the ice for any signs of movement. Once they spot a seal, they use their incredible swimming abilities to approach silently, sometimes from underwater, to get as close as possible without alerting their prey.
When the moment is right, the polar bear launches a powerful attack, bursting from the water or snow to surprise the seal. With their massive strength and sharp claws, they swiftly incapacitate the seal before it has a chance to escape. This ambush hunting technique allows polar bears to efficiently secure their next meal in the harsh and unforgiving Arctic environment.
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