Several years ago, the Marine Mammal Council and the WWF declared 29 December Polar Bear Birthday.

It is now the darkest time of year in the Arctic. The sun is below the horizon most of the time. It seems that all living things are sleeping, and only the cold, blizzards and Northern Lights reign over this ice-bound region. But life goes on, and new life begins.  On these days, a new generation of polar bears, the symbol of the Arctic, is born in warm dens. Newborn cubs are just 30 centimetres tall and weigh about 0.5 kilogrammes; they are blind and helpless. With their mothers’ help, they will step into a fast changing world, with melting sea ice and a growing number of people.  If they are lucky, they will grow into large, beautiful adult bears. We wish all polar bears a long and happy life.

(Photo © Ruslan Sleptsov)