The title for the world’s largest land carnivore goes to the polar bear. This Arctic animal weighs up to 1,500lbs and while it may be a land animal, it oddly spends more of its time at sea. Polar bears can hunt their preferred food (seals) from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present. But how does this massive mammal exist in such frigid temperatures, much less hunt in the freezing cold ocean?
Hashem gave them a special coat of fur, consisting of a layer of dense under-fur and an outer layer of guard hairs, which appear white or tan but are in actuality transparent. This unique hair can measure up to six inches long atop the skin of a polar bear. This bear’s skin is not white like many people assume, it is black. They have plenty of insulation - up to 4 inches of blubber.
The polar bears are magnificent hunters. This is due to their supreme senses: the polar bear has an extremely well developed sense of smell, being able to detect seals almost a mile away and buried under three feet of snow. Lastly, the polar bear happens to be an excellent swimmer, with individuals having seen them in open Arctic waters as far as 200 miles from land. All of these astounding abilities make sense for their survival in the harsh and unforgiving conditions of the Arctic.
