Polar Bears: Why the World’s Largest Bears Aren’t in Antarctica

Although the North and Antarctica represent comparable ecosystems in some respects, they are inhabited to distinct organisms.

Despite the fact that both hemispheres are accessible to a range of seals as well as the whale population, solely the Arctic is habitat to the world's biggest bear, the polar bear.

World's Largest Bear Cannot Be Seen in Antarctica

As previously mentioned in a Live Science news report, polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus can only be encountered in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, a landmark that is included in Denmark, Norway, Russia, even, on rare occasions, Iceland.

Polar bear fur is highly adapted to temperatures as low as -22 ℉. Polar bears spend the majority of their life on the frozen ground, feasting on fat-rich seals that preserve animals fueled for lengthy stretches among feeding, as stated in National History Museum article.

There are also ice sheets, subzero conditions, and seals in Antarctica. So, why don't there seem to be any polar bears in the world's southernmost landmass? According to senior lecturer of systems biology at Canada's University of Alberta who has researched polar bears for over four decades, Andrew Derocher, bears are mostly a Northern Horizon occurrence.

Bears are exclusively found in the Higher Latitudes, with the exception of the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) of South America. There is no unique cause for this; simply put, certain creatures develop in certain locations while others do not.

"Planetary geology is replete with anomalies," remarked Derocher.

A few really creatures carried it to distant areas, while others could not. Polar bears, in particular, have previously ever had a period in their natural development whenever the North as well as South hemispheres were joined by ice or land, for that matter.

Polar bears are referred to be the largest earth observation predator in the entire planet, although they are not a land-based life form. These large, white bears spend practically their adult existence on surface temperatures, occasionally venturing ashore to procreate on time.

Polar bears are a juvenile population in terms of growth. They descended from a related species of the brown bear known to its scientific name Ursus arctos, approximately 5 million and 500,000 years ago.

However, because the hemispheres were in comparable places 5 million years ago, polar bears seldom had the chance to travel from hemisphere to hemisphere.

Polar Bears Across The World

The southern point of South America, especially encompasses Chile and Argentina, is the nearest continent to Antarctica. Polar bears will also have to travel the perilous Drake Channel to access Antarctica, as per Oceanwide Expeditions website.

As water temperature from the south meets soapy water from the north, the region is also noted for violent storm surges and stormy weather. Nevertheless, if given the chance, could polar bears thrive in the South Pole?

Derocher's response is straightforward: "They'd have far too much pleasure in Antarctic peninsula."

Polar bears in the Arctic eat seals as well as the rare bird or egg. With six seal varieties and five penguin types, Antarctica is plentiful in all three. Furthermore, neither of those creatures have grown to be afraid of massive, land-roving carnivores.

The Antarctic terrain would be an unrestricted smorgasbord for a polar bear, that's why no polar bears ought to be brought here at all. Their insatiable hunger, especially when coupled with the indigenous faunas' lack of awareness of huge terrestrial predatory animals, would almost certainly result in environmental destruction. The big white bear should definitely stay in the north.