Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
Body Length:Males: 8'–9'8"; females: 6'–8'2"; they are the largest of the living bear species
Height:Standing on hind legs: 8'–11'; on all fours: 3'6"–5'
Weight:Females: 330–650 lbs; Males: 775–1,200 lbs (exceedingly large males can be 1,750 lbs)
Geographic Distribution:Arctic regions around the North Pole and frozen coastal plains of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Norway, and the United States (southern limits are determined by distribution of pack ice)
Habitat:Coasts and islands, pack ice, and nearby waters; they are most common in areas of upwellings where currents increase productivity and thin the ice
Wild Diet:Ringed seals, bearded seals, seabirds, fish, vegetation, and carcasses of marine mammals (berries in summer), grass
Zoo Diet:Herring, trout, occasionally live bluegill and crappie in summer, produce, and omnivore biscuits; the meat-to-vegetable ratio replicates seasonal variability in the wild
Status in the Wild:Vulnerable
Location:Great Bear Wilderness