The biblical account of Noah's Ark and the Flood is perhaps the most implausible story for fundamentalists to defend.  Where, for example, while loading his ark, did Noah find penguins and polar bears in Palestine?

- Judith Hayes
 

Source: Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards: Thomas D Mangelsen USA Highly Commended 1994 Reclining Polar Bear - "I have been to Hudson Bay every November for the past 7 years to photograph polar bears.  This is one of the few times of the year when they socialise.  Two or three bears may join together to play-fight or just hang out.  Once the bay freezes, the bears separate and go out onto the ice alone to hunt seals."  Produced in association with BBC Wildlife Magazine, the Natural History Museum (London) and British Gas © Thomas D Mangelsen

Bearing Down

Source: a small print I have framed on my wall.  It is called Polar Bear by artist Norbert Rosing.

Bear with Me

Source: Fox Photos as it appeared in Cyclists Please Dismount and other photographs from Kodak Limited's "Humour '70" Exhibition published 1971 by Angus and Robertson (Publishers) Pty Ltd

I wonder if they have names for each other...

And what does this mouth-to-mouth thing mean to them?  I recently ran across the following photo as well...

Polar bears are amazingly photogenic animals.  An image search on Google will turn up thousands of photos...

Have a Chat

Source: I bought this picture and the one below, both framed, at a thrift store in Morristown.  Neither one had any information as to origin.  I have been informed that the print above is from a photograph by Thomas Mangelsen.  It's possible he also took the shot below, but I don't know.

On a Roll

It should be done with the same degree of alacrity and nonchalance that you would display in authorising a highly intelligent trained bear to remove your appendix.

- Daniel S Greenberg
 

Source: See photo above

Pratfall

The polar bear is the only large land mammal that has absolutely no fear of man.

Source: Unknown

I Bearly Made It Here...

Click to Play

For more polar bear photos, see also:

"Honey, Come Look!  This Is One Hell of a Whale..." (the next page in this section) - Personally, I suspect the men aboard the sub were more excited than the bears.  The bears are displaying an impressive curiosity.  Afraid of something bigger than they are?  Do they LOOK afraid?

Bears Repeating

It isn't only polar bears which are cute.  Doesn't the mother look like she's smiling?

European brown bears such as this twosome are closely related to the North American grizzly.  Cubs usually stick around mama for a year and a half, but are able to be out on their own at 6 months.  Births usually come in pairs, but this little guy is a triplet.  The cubs were born to a brown bear named Ursina at a Swiss animal park in early February.

Source: The Washington Post date undenoted (javascript window with animal baby pictures)

For more on animals, including reptiles, crustaceans, arachnids, insects, fish, birds, pets, livestock, rodents, bears, primates, whales and Wellington's waterfront, click "Up" below to take you to the Table of Contents for this Animals section.