meet the polar bear . . .

Come see animals US $16.95 / $21.95 CAN

face to face

Rosing /Carney
through in-your-face animal adventures.

face to face with animals Cuddly cubs.

is brought to you exclusively from
National Geographic photographers and Powerful predators.
researchers in the field observing
animals. Each book combines exciting Lords of the Arctic.
firsthand animal information with

face to face with

stunning animal photography. Read about
close calls, narrow escapes, and the one
that got away. Find out about the field of
animal study and observation and all the
latest discoveries.

You’ll find important conservation

messages about the need to protect
have you ever
animals and their threatened habitats. been face to face with
You’ll receive “tips from the expert” with a polar bear?
fun and practical nuggets of information
about working with animals in the field. face to face with Norbert Rosing has. He's had his tires
A “facts at a glance” reference section slashed by a polar bear, almost became

POLAR BEARS
puts information at your fingertips. a polar bear’s lunch when his truck
A scientific adventure experiment, a became stuck in a snowdrift, and nearly
glossary, and a “find out more” section lost his fingertips to frostbite. But he
all help you process what you’ve learned. keeps returning to the beautiful Arctic
landscape and to the company of his
favorite animal. With lots of layers and
let national geographic special camera equipment, and with
take you out of the zoo, patience, skill, and perseverance, Norbert
out of the library, and Rosing brings you the wild world of
into the wild! by Norbert Rosing playful cubs and magnificent predators
in Face to Face with Polar Bears.

Jacket design by David M. Seager

Jacket copyright © 2007
with Elizabeth Carney You’ll find answers to questions like . . .
National Geographic Society
Photographs by Norbert Rosing
How does a polar bear find a
tasty seal snack?
Front cover: Face to face with a polar bear.
Front Flap: A polar bear’s expressive eyes. Why is a polar bear’s fur white
Back cover: A playful polar bear frolics with a tire. and skin black?
norbert rosing is a nature and wildlife photographer whose coverage has focused What does global warming mean
primarily on the Arctic, North American landscapes, and the National Parks of Germany. His images have for polar bears?
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY U.S. $16.95 / $21.95 CAN been published in magazines all over the world including NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine, Geo, and BBC
1145 17th Street, N.W.
I S B N 978-1-4263-0139-1 / PRINTED IN CHINA
Wildlife, and he has published a number of books, most recently The World of the Polar Bear. Says Art Join an expert who can take you
51695
Washington, D.C. 20036 into the polar bear’s own magical frozen
Wolfe, conservation photographer, “Norbert Rosing is the best photographer of the Arctic working today.”
[Link] world.

elizabeth carney is a children's writer and editor from New York City. This polar bear close encounter is one
9 781426 301391 you won’t want to miss!
face to face with

by Norbert Rosing
with Elizabeth Carney

W A S H I N G T O N, D. C.
 I’m all bundled
up and ready for
a long day of photo-
graphing polar bears
in the icy Arctic.

o ne fall, my wife Elli and I had a single goal:

to photograph polar bears. We were staying at
a research camp outside “the polar bear capital of the
world”—the town of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada.
Taking pictures of polar bears is amazing but also
dangerous. Polar bears—like all wild animals—should
be photographed from a safe distance. When I’m
face to face with a polar bear, I like it to be through
A slumbering giant: Polar
bears are one of the largest a camera with a telephoto lens. But sometimes, that
land carnivores in the world. is easier said than done. This was one of those times.

5
 As Elli and I cooked dinner, a young male polar
bear who was playing in a nearby lake sniffed, and
smelled our spaghetti and garlic bread.
The hungry bear followed his nose to our camp,
which was surrounded by a high, wire fence. He
clawed, bit, and shoved the wire mesh. He stood on
his hind legs and pushed at the wooden fence posts.
Terrified, Elli and I tried all the bear defense
actions we knew. We yelled at the bear, banged pots,
and fired blank shotgun shells into the air. Sometimes
loud noises like these will scare bears off. Not this
polar bear—he just growled and went back to trying
to tear down the fence with his massive paws.
how big I radioed the camp manager for help. He told me
is this bear? a helicopter was on its way, but it would be 30 min-

- Polar bears are one of the

largest land predators in
utes before it arrived. Making the best of this close
encounter, I snapped some pictures of the bear.

-
the whole world. Elli and I feared the fence wouldn’t last through
Paws can be 12 inches (30 cm)
across—that's some foot! 30 more minutes of the bear’s punishment. The

- Males may weigh as much

as a small car—over
camp manager suggested I use pepper spray. The
spray burns the bears’ eyes, but doesn’t hurt them.

-
1,700 pounds (770 kg).
So I crept up to our uninvited guest and, through
Male bears are as long as
normal room height from the fence, sprayed him in the face. With an angry
floor to ceiling. roar, the bear ran back to the lake to wash his eyes.

6
 A few minutes later, the helicopter arrived. As we
This young male polar
were lifted into the air, we saw the stubborn bear
bear tries to push down the
fence that circles the camp. was already heading back to our camp.
He was probably extra hun- When Elli and I got home and developed our pic-
gry because of a toothache, tures, we noticed this bear had broken an important
which made it difficult for
him to chew. He was hoping
tooth. Like humans, polar bears feel pain, have
for my spaghetti! emotions, and can be afraid. Elli and I learned our
lesson: Beware of a bear with a toothache.

7
 A mother polar
bear sits with her two
cubs in Manitoba,
Canada. Polar bears
most commonly give
birth to twins.

i started traveling to the Arctic to photograph

wildlife 17 years ago. At first, I planned to
photograph things like wildflowers and the northern
lights. But my plans changed. I became fascinated
with polar bears. The first time I looked into the
eyes of a polar bear, I felt an important moment
of connection. I knew this was the animal I was
destined to capture on film for all to see. Since then,
Like a dog after a bath,
a polar bear shakes water I have had my truck’s tires slashed by a polar bear.
from its coat after a swim. I nearly lost my fingertips to frostbite. And I narrowly

9
escaped becoming a bear’s lunch after my truck got
stuck in a snowdrift. Still, nothing has ruined my
feeling of connection to this amazing animal.
Polar bears might look similar to their cousins,
the land-dwelling black bears and brown bears. But
besides their color, these white bears are different
in one big way. Polar bears are marine mammals.
Like seals and walruses, they spend most of their
lives on the ocean. In fact, their scientific name,
Ursus maritimus, means “sea bear.”
The icy Arctic Ocean and lands that surround the
North Pole are a polar bear’s idea of paradise. These
bears are built to keep warm in freezing temperatures.
For much of the year, they spend their days sleeping
in snowdrifts and playing, and hunting on sea ice.
Polar bears eat mainly the fat and meat of other
animals. Seals are their favorite meals. They some-
times eat walruses and caribou, too. I’ve watched
polar bears nab their prey in many different ways.
In one common method, the bear stands very still

A bear feasts on one of bears don’t bury leftovers for

its favorite meals, a walrus, later meals the way other
in Igloolik, Canada. Polar bears do.

10
 over a hole in the ice. Seals swim under the
R U S S I A
sea ice, but they must come to the surface
to breathe. When a seal pops up for air,
Sea of
Okhotsk
Kara
the bear grabs it.
Sea
Laptev
Sea
Barents
Sea After a meal, polar bears wash up.
PACIFIC
East
Siberian Norwegian
For polar bears, keeping clean is not
OCEAN Sea Sea

Bering
ARCTIC just about looking good. A clean
OCEAN North
Sea Chukchi Pole Greenland
Sea Sea coat keeps bears warmer than a
Greenland
ALASKA Beaufort (Denmark) dirty one. Why? Polar bear hair
(U.S.) Sea ATLANTIC
Baffin
Bay
OCEAN looks white to us because it adopts
Gulf of
Alaska the color of the light that hits it.
Labrador
Sea Actually, it is colorless and hollow like a
Hudson
Bay
tube. It draws heat from sunlight to the
CANADA
bear’s black skin below. This special coat also
Polar bear range
On land On pack ice helps the bears blend into the snowy landscape.
Polar bear denning sites
Adult bears have perfected the art of keeping
Maximum extent of winter pack ice

Country boundary warm. Polar bear cubs need help from their moms
Rare polar bear sightings
to keep from freezing to death.
To prepare for her cubs’ birth, a soon-to-be mother
Polar bears live in the
Arctic, near the North Pole. bear digs a den. Dens are usually caves dug into earth
They are one of eight species or snow. They have long, narrow entrance tunnels to
of bears in the world. The
keep the mother’s warmth from escaping outside.
only continents with no
native bears are Australia, One scientist found a cozy den to be 37 degrees F
Antarctica, and Africa. (20 degrees C) warmer than the outside air.

12
 The mother bear rests in the den for three to four
This polar bear cub rests
months until cubs are born in the winter. Newborns
on top of its mother’s head.
have thin hair and no teeth. They are the size of a Mom doesn’t seem to mind.
squirrel and depend on their mother for warmth, Cubs stay with their mothers
for up to two and a half years.
food, and shelter. They nurse on her fatty milk. The
She teaches them how to
new family stays in the den until early spring, when survive in their frosty world.
the cubs are strong enough to journey to the sea ice.

13
 Peek-a-boo! A
polar bear peers
over the top of an
ice floe.

i magine a place where wide stretches of ice go

on for as far as the eye can see. In the winter,
darkness lasts 24 hours a day. In the summer, the
sun never sets at all, giving the place the nickname
Land of the Midnight Sun. This is what the polar
bears’ home—the Arctic—is like.
The Arctic region lies north of the Arctic Circle—
a line about three-fourths of the way up the globe
A polar bear shields
his face from a blinding from the equator. Inside the circle you’ll find the
snowstorm. Arctic Ocean, with the North Pole in the center

15
 and the northern-most lands of Russia, the
United States (Alaska), Canada, Norway, and
Denmark (Greenland).
Most of the time, a 6- to 8-foot-thick (1.8- to 2.4-
meter) layer of ice covers the Arctic Ocean, which
makes it the only ocean people and animals can walk
Mountain aven grows on. Fish, seals, whales, and walruses swim below.
over rocks at Wapusk The Arctic isn’t where you would want to spend
National Park. During the a beach vacation. Below-freezing temperatures and
summer, wildflowers bloom
stiff winds are the norm. There are few roads, so
and berries provide food for
hungry polar bears. when I’m looking for polar bears, I use helicopters,
snowmobiles, or dogsleds to get around.
While the land might seem harsh, it is really full

how of life. In the summer, wildflowers bloom in daz-

to stay warm zling colors. You can find beetles, bees, and butter-
flies fluttering around. Almost 200 different types
in the arctic
- Three layers of socks
of birds—from puffins to snow geese—spend the

- Waterproof boots
warmer months breeding and nesting here.

-
What’s the secret to surviving the Arctic’s cold
Three layers of pants

-
seasons? Keeping warm. For me, it’s not easy. I wear
Two turtlenecks

-
many layers of clothes, a mask, hood, gloves, and
Five layers of jackets waterproof boots. My equipment can also break in
- Gloves, face mask, and hood the Arctic’s freezing temperatures. Sometimes my

- Parka film gets so cold it shatters like glass in my hands.

16
 A polar bear wanders a
rocky coast in Canada while
gulls look on. More than 175
types of birds migrate to the
Arctic to breed in the summer.

Polar bears are serious

swimmers—they can swim
distances of more than 100
miles. This mother and cub
paddle through the freezing
waters of Wager Bay.
18
 Polar bears do a much better job of staying warm
than humans. They have a big advantage: a built-in
snowsuit. In addition to their special heat-absorbing
coat and skin, bears have a 4-inch (10-centimeter)
layer of fat called blubber. The blubber holds in the
bears’ body heat and also helps them float in water.
Polar bears have extra-wide paws that work like
A harp seal pup lies on
the ice. Polar bears most snowshoes. The paws spread out the bears’ weight
commonly eat ringed seals, so they can balance on slippery ice and snow.
bearded seals, and harp seals. Polar bears are designed for Arctic survival. But
Polar bears can sniff out a
even so, life in the Arctic isn’t easy. These smart
seal hiding under three feet
(a meter) of ice from a mile bears experiment with different ways to hunt, learn
(a kilometer and a half) away! to avoid hunters, and perfect their den-making skills.
Young male bears play- When two polar bears meet, anything can hap-
fight. The bears are prac- pen. I’ve been entertained for hours by watching
ticing for adulthood, when young bears play-fight and wrestle. Older bears
fights over females will be
may fight over food or mates. Their heavily
real and the stakes high.
scarred faces are evidence of many battles.
Mother bears protect their cubs at all costs from
male polar bears and wolves.
Even though their lives in the Arctic are full of
challenges, polar bears wouldn’t be able to survive
anywhere warmer. These bears live up to their
nickname—Lords of the Arctic.

19
 A polar bear
stares off into the
sunset.

f ortunately for polar bears, the Arctic is one

area of the world where very few people live.
Polar bears have avoided habitat destruction and
overhunting, human activities that have landed
A polar bear wanders other bears on the endangered species list.
over a field of ice after sun- But polar bears have other problems. Because
set in Churchill, Manitoba, of a worldwide warm-up, the Arctic ice is melting.
Canada. Polar bears are soli-
In the past 50 years, average Arctic temperatures
tary animals, preferring to
hunt, sleep, and roam the have increased by more than 5 degrees F (2 degrees C).
sea ice by themselves. This may not sound like much, but the heat is

21
 enough to melt the sea ice earlier in the summer and
Workers from Manitoba cause it to freeze later in the fall. This shortens the
Conservation—affectionately
bears’ hunting time on the ice. Without enough time
known as the polar bear
police—relocate bears who to hunt, eat, and build up fat, the bears may return
get too close to people. to land weak and thin—and in danger of starving.

22
 A scientist shows a bear’s
tattooed upper lip. Scientists
tattoo bears, each with
its own unique number,
so the animals can be
identified later.

Scientists hope to learn how polar bears are coping

with their changing environment. How do you study
a 1,700–pound (770–kilogram) bear? Very, very care- how
fully. Scientists put the bear to sleep by shooting it to hunt
with a drug-filled dart. Then they weigh the bear, take like a polar
bear
-
blood samples, and give it a checkup. The scientists
fix numbered white tags to the bear’s ears so it can Hover above seal
breathing holes and pounce
be tracked and identified later. They also tattoo the when a seal appears
bear’s number to the inside of its upper lip.
In the past few years, researchers tracking polar - Break the ice to get at
young seals below
bears have found dead bears floating in the water 60
miles (100 kilometers) off the coast of Alaska. The
- Paddle through water
toward seals resting on
ice, with only your nose
ice melted so quickly that these bears were stranded
and eyes showing
in the open ocean. They either died from exhaustion
or drowned in rough waves and high winds. - Follow your nose to
find a dead whale, walrus,
Some Inuit hunters have told me that they have or caribou
noticed changes in weather patterns and currents in
- Watch out for melting sea ice

23
 In Wapusk National
Park, a mother bear and her
cubs walk across cracked sea
ice. Melting sea ice is a big
problem in the Arctic.

the region. These native Arctic people say that some-

times their feet even sink into melting permafrost
(soil that’s supposed to remain frozen year-round).
Most scientists believe the recent Arctic meltdown
is part of a pattern called global warming. Global
warming has been linked to the burning of fossil
fuels, which power people’s cars, planes, and facto-
ries. The burned fuels send gases, including carbon
dioxide, into the air. When carbon dioxide builds up in
the atmosphere, it can trap heat and warm the planet.
Right now, the world’s some 25,000 polar bears
are not endangered. But this can change. One study
found that in 100 years, the Arctic will likely become
7 to 13 degrees F (4 to 7 degrees C) warmer. If this
happens, the future of the polar bear and its home
will be grim. But it’s not too late to take action (find
out how on the next page). It’s my deepest hope that
polar bears live to capture our imaginations forever.

25
 Global warming is the biggest
threat polar bears face. If too
much Arctic ice melts, their
- Gas engines in vehicles
add carbon, too. Walk or ride a
bike to get around, if you can
how habitat will be destroyed. When do it safely. Could your family
you can we burn fuel to make electricity travel on public buses or trains
help and to heat and cool homes, we for longer trips, instead of
add more carbon to the air. going by car?

-
Carbon and gases in the air
speed up global warming. You can also help to pro-

-
tect polar bears by writing to
You can help to slow this your senators and representa-
process. Try to use less power tives in Congress. Tell them
at home. Turn off the light you are worried about global
when you leave a room. Turn warming. Ask them to make
off the TV unless you are really strict rules for car manufac-
watching. If your home does turers and to favor cars with
not leak air, you will use less better gas mileage, hybrid
heating and cooling power. engines, and all-electric cars.
Ask your parents to check for Ask them to support clean
tight windows, doors, and good energy development and good
insulation in the walls to bus and train systems.

-
prevent air leaks.

-
Learn all you can about
Some electricity, called polar bears and their environ-
“green electricity,” comes from ment. (See the list of books and
wind and solar power. This Web sites in Find Out More on
type of energy does not add page 30.) Some animal welfare
to global warming. Your family groups have special programs
Bears can’t sign petitions. may be able to buy “green” for young members. Joining a
They need our help to keep through your local electric group that studies and works
their home protected. company. Ask your to preserve polar wildlife can
parents to find out about be a big help to all the animals.
special programs like this.

26
 would you like to see 2 What would you need to take
and photograph polar with you, besides your camera?
bears yourself?
it’s your You might find captive bears
What else would help you work
in comfort in the Arctic? Would
turn in a nearby zoo. How will what you need special clothes? How
you know about bears’ habits long would you stay? Would you
help you get good pictures? need shelter? What kind?
Bears do many different things
during the day. What would you 3 You have read that polar bears
most like to see them doing? roam over hundreds of miles
Swimming? Eating? Playing? during the year. Where would
When do you think is the best you go to see them hunting
time to see each of these activi- seals? What time of year would
ties? How do you think captive you see this?
Making a snow angel or bear behavior differs from wild
taking a bath? A polar bear bear behavior? How is a bear’s 4 Some wildlife protection
rolls in the snow to clean its zoo environment different from groups take kids north to see
fur or maybe just to play. its natural habitat? You can Arctic animals, including polar
record your thoughts in a jour- bears. Maybe you can go on
nal and then compare them such a trip—and take your
later against your observations. camera along!

1 Imagine you could study wild

polar bears. What behavior inter-
ests you the most? What else is
there to learn about polar bears?
 - Scientific name
Ursus maritimus
- Color
Polar bear skin is black. You can

facts
at a
glance
- Common names
Polar bear, ice bear, sea bear
see the skin at the tip of their
noses and on the pads of their
feet. Polar bear coats look

- Population
Between 20,000 and 27,000
white, cream-colored, or yellow-
ish, depending on the light, but
each hair is colorless and hollow.

-
worldwide. The International
Union for Conservation of Special features
Nature and Natural Resources Polar bear bodies are well built
(IUCN) lists the polar bear as a to help them live in the Arctic.
“vulnerable” species. That Their small ears do not lose
means that wild polar bears much heat. The soles of their
are at risk of dying out. feet are mostly covered in fur,

- Size
Polar bears are the largest
to keep them warm walking
over ice. They grow a thick
layer of fat under their skin
species of bear (by record).
that blocks the cold. To help

- Length
Males up to 8'6'' (2.6 m)
Females up to 6'11'' (2.1 m)
them swim, polar bears have
webbed toes on their
forepaws. Polar bears don’t

-
hibernate like other bears.
Weight
Males up to 1,800 lbs. (800 kg)
Females up to 660 lbs. (300 kg)
- Habitat
Polar bears spend much of the

-
year on sea ice in the Arctic
Lifespan Ocean. A bear may travel
Wild bears live 15-18 years. across more than a thousand
A cub chews on a twig. Zoo bears may live longer. miles (over 1,500 kilometers)
Polar bear cubs are playful The oldest captive polar bear on the ice each year. They also
and curious. They can turn known lived to be more than roam coastal areas and islands,
almost any object into a toy. 40 years old. including parts of the United

28
 Pregnant females stay in
their den from mid-October
to as late as mid-April.
During that time, mothers
give birth to cubs and nurse
them until they’re big
enough to survive the harsh
weather outside the den.

States, Canada, Russia, Norway, together. The females find or Canada are often seen in
and Greenland. A bear that lives dig a den in the earth or in groups as they look for food
in one place may roam over 200 deep, hardened ice. From one scraps left by humans.
square miles (500 square kilo-
meters) of personal territory.
to three cubs are born there
the following winter. Mother - Biggest threats

-
bears give birth and raise the The worst threat to polar
Food cubs alone. Cubs stay with bears is loss of habitat through
Ringed seals are the main food their mother until they are global warming and Arctic
polar bears hunt year-round. about 21⁄2 years old. development. Bears cannot get

-
They also eat bearded seals, enough food when their hunting
walruses, and beached whales. Social habits areas of sea ice grow smaller.
The blubber (fat layer) is the Adult polar bears usually live Chemical pollution on Arctic
part of their prey they like alone. At mating time, two or lands and in the water poisons
best. Near towns and at human three male bears may follow bears. Chemicals get into most
campsites, bears look through one female. Mothers travel Arctic animals, including
garbage dumps for food. Like with cubs until the cubs are animals that polar bears eat.
other bear species, hungry almost as big as adults. Cubs Polar bears in polluted areas
polar bears will eat almost any- from the same litter may live are smaller and weaker.
thing they can find. together awhile after they leave Fewer cubs are born where

-
their mother. Several bears may pollution is high.
Reproduction share the meat when a whale
Bears mate in the spring. carcass washes up on shore.
Males and females do not stay Bears living near Hudson Bay in

29
glossary
Carnivore: an animal whose diet Inuit: native peoples in the 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0˚C) or
is based on meat. Arctic areas of Alaska, Siberia, below for two years or more.
Environment: the natural sur- Canada, and Greenland. Species: a group of animals or
roundings, including terrain, Marine: living in or near the sea plants that look similar, breed
climate, and other native living or ocean, or depending on the with each other, and whose off-
things, of a plant or animal. ocean’s food sources. spring can also breed successfully.
Fossil fuel: coal, oil, and natural Norm: a usual state or condition. Telephoto lens: a camera lens that
gas. These fuels come from the North Pole: a point at the north- can act like a telescope, making
slow breakdown of ancient ern end of the Earth’s axis, distant objects appear close.
plants or animal bodies over located in the Arctic Ocean. Tundra buggy: a special-purpose
millions of years. There, six months of daylight vehicle like a bus, used for observ-
Global warming: a gradual rise in are followed by six months of ing Arctic wildlife safely. Buggies
average temperatures worldwide. darkness each year. ride high on big tires over ice
Habitat: the place where a plant Permafrost: ground, soil, or rock and snow instead of roads.
or an animal naturally lives. that stays at a temperature of

find out more

Books & Articles Rosing, Norbert. The World of the [Link]
Biel, Timothy Levi. Zoobooks 2. Polar Bear. Richmond Hill, Ontario: _we_work/arctic/polar_bear/[Link]
Polar Bears. Poway, CA: Wildlife Firefly Books, 2006.
[Link]
Education, 1985.
Stirling, Ian. Polar Bears. Ann [Link]
Mangelson, Thomas D., and Arbor: University of Michigan Press,
[Link]
Bruemmer, Fred. Polar Dance: 1988.
Born of the North Wind. Omaha, [Link]
NE: Images of Nature, 1997. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine arti- bears/[Link]
cles from December 2000, February
National Audubon Society. Guide to 2004, and October 2004. Places to visit
Marine Mammals of the World. Polar Bears International has Arctic
New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2002. Web sites camps for kids to learn about polar
[Link] bears and visit their habitat.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Polar kids/creature_feature/0004/[Link] For information, see: [Link]
Bears. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda [Link]/adventure-learning-
Books, 2000. [Link] program/
carnivor/[Link]

30
index Igloolik, Northwest Territories, research &
Canada
Boldface indicates illustrations. polar bear eating a walrus
photographic
10–11 notes
arctic regions Inuit 23, 25
What makes a successful wildlife photogra-
birds 17 lifespan 28 pher? Some people say the photo equipment.
description 15–16 manitoba, Canada Others say good luck or knowledge of your sub-
warming 21–22, 25, 29 cubs with mother 9 ject. All are right. But I learned that in the vast
birds Manitoba Conservation
Arctic wilderness where the polar bear lives,
the key to success is a responsible Inuit guide.
migration 17 relocating bears 21 I remember arriving on a remote island in
Blubber 19 Mountain aven (flower) 16 the northern Hudson Bay. My guide, Luke
churchill, Manitoba, Canada pain 7 Eetuk, came over and introduced himself. He
polar bear on ice 20 said: “Don’t worry about anything but your
Paws 6, 19 photography. I will guide you. I will cook. I will
polar bear photography 5–6 Play behavior 18, 27 set up the tent. Your job is to create photo-
polar bear watching 27 Pollution 29 graphs. Your images will tell the people outside
Cleanliness 12, 27 the Arctic what our home is all about.”
Population 28
For more than three weeks, Luke kept his
Cold weather range 28–29 word. I never was hungry, cold, or afraid. This
keeping warm 16, 19, 28 map 12 is important because a tired body with a
Color 12, 28 Relocation 21 hungry stomach doesn’t do a good job. Being
Cubs relaxed, even in difficult situations, is very
Reproduction 9, 12–13, 29 important for a photographer. Under these
behavior 13 Rosing, Norbert 5 ideal circumstances, I feel free to move around,
crossing sea ice 24–25 scientific research 23 look for different angles, wait for low light, and
early life 9, 13, 13, 29 Size 6, 28 change lenses as often as I need to.
swimming 17 I photograph with 35mm professional
Sleeping 4 cameras, and I prefer film. My lenses range
dens 12–13, 29 Smell, sense of 7, 19 from 16mm fish-eye lenses to 800mm tele-
Diet 10, 16, 19, 29 Snowstorms 14 photo lenses. To hold the camera steady, I
facts at a glance 28–29 Social behavior 29 use tripods of varying sizes and, during aerial
photography, I use gyrostabilizers.
Feeding behavior 6, 7 , 10, 10–11, Swimming 8, 17 In the field, there are some challenges
12, 23, 29 tattoos 23 that no one can protect you from. In the
Fighting 18, 19 Threats 22, 26, 29 summer, scores of mosquitoes, black flies,
and horse flies, and the inability to take a
Fur 12, 28 wager Bay, Northwest Territories, shower can make life very uncomfortable.
global warming 25, 26 Canada In the winter, we grapple with extremely cold
habitat 10, 15–16 polar bears swimming 17 temperatures, brisk winds, and 18 hours a
changes 21–22 Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, day of total darkness.
Harp seal pup 19 Why am I doing all this? For the one-of-a-
Canada kind experiences! I see animal families acting
How you can help 26 mother and cubs 24–25 like us: playing, fighting, having fun, and taking
Hunting 10, 12, 23 wildflowers 16 care of each other. I see weather conditions not
ice Wildflowers 16 many people have seen and the aurora borealis
lighting up the Arctic during a winter night.
melting 21–22, 25, 29
Being outdoors is a learning experience.
polar bears on 15, 20, 24–25 The most important lesson: learning to respect
the lives of other creatures.
--norbert rosing

31
to the inuit people of Published by the Library of Congress
the north and further National Geographic Society Cataloging-in-Publication Data
generations. -nr
for my brother and sister, John M. Fahey, Jr., President and
marty and mary. --ec Rosing, Norbert.
Chief Executive Officer Face to face with polar bears / by Norbert
Rosing with Elizabeth Carney.
Acknowledgments: p. cm. -- (Face to face)
Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of
I could not have shot these images Includes bibliographical references and index.
the Board
without the help of my Inuit friends in ISBN 978-1-4263-0139-1 (trade : alk. paper)
Nunavut, Canada; Inuit guides Pakak -- ISBN 978-1-4263-0140-7 (library : alk. paper)
Qamaniq and Adam Qanatsiaq; Cree guides Nina D. Hoffman, Executive Vice 1. Polar bear. I. Carney, Elizabeth, 1981- II.
Morris and Mike Spence; the people of President, President, Book Title.
Publishing Group QL737.C27R69 2007
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; and the polar 599.786--dc22
bear researchers Nick Lunn and Ian
Stirling. Special thanks to my wife Elli for Staff for This Book 2006032847
letting me go when I needed to and to
Robert Buchanan of Polar Bears Nancy Laties Feresten, Vice President,
Editor-in-Chief of Children’s Books Printed in China
International for his friendship and support.

The publisher gratefully acknowledges Bea Jackson, Design and Illustrations

the assistance of Christine Kiel, K-3 Director, Children’s Books
Curriculum and Reading Consultant.
Jennifer Emmett, Project Editor One of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific
and educational organizations, the National
Text and photographs copyright Geographic Society was founded in 1888 “for
© 2007 Norbert Rosing David M. Seager, Art Director the increase and diffusion of geographic
All rights reserved. Reproduction of the knowledge.” Fulfilling this mission, the
whole or any part of the contents with- Lori Epstein, Illustrations Editor Society educates and inspires millions every
out written permission from the National day through its magazines, books, television
Jocelyn G. Lindsay, Researcher programs, videos, maps and atlases, research
Geographic Society is strictly prohibited.
grants, the National Geographic Bee, teacher
workshops, and innovative classroom materi-
Book design by David M. Seager Jean Cantu, Illustrations Specialist als. The Society is supported through member-
The body text of the book is set in ship dues, charitable gifts, and income from
ITC Century. The display text is set Carl Mehler, Director of Maps the sale of its educational products. This sup-
in Knockout and Party Noid. port is vital to National Geographic’s mission
to increase global understanding and promote
Rebecca Baines, Editorial Assistant conservation of our planet through explo-
ration, research, and education.
R. Gary Colbert, Production Director
For more information, please call
Lewis R. Bassford, Production Manager 1-800-NGS-LINE (647-5463)
or write to the following address:
Vincent P. Ryan, Maryclare Tracy, National Geographic Society
Nicole Elliott 1145 17th Street N.W.
Manufacturing Managers Washington, D.C. 20036-4688
U.S.A.

Visit the Society’s Web site:

Cover: Playful and powerful, polar bears have [Link]
surprisingly expressive faces. Back Cover: A
polar bear romps with a new toy. Page One: A
polar bear cub follows his mother. Title Page:
Face to face with a polar bear.

32
 meet the polar bear . . .
Come see animals US $16.95 / $21.95 CAN

face to face

Rosing /Carney
through in-your-face animal adventures.

face to face with animals Cuddly cubs.

is brought to you exclusively from
National Geographic photographers and Powerful predators.
researchers in the field observing
animals. Each book combines exciting Lords of the Arctic.
firsthand animal information with

face to face with

stunning animal photography. Read about
close calls, narrow escapes, and the one
that got away. Find out about the field of
animal study and observation and all the
latest discoveries.

You’ll find important conservation

messages about the need to protect
have you ever
animals and their threatened habitats. been face to face with
You’ll receive “tips from the expert” with a polar bear?
fun and practical nuggets of information
about working with animals in the field. face to face with Norbert Rosing has. He's had his tires
A “facts at a glance” reference section slashed by a polar bear, almost became

POLAR BEARS
puts information at your fingertips. a polar bear’s lunch when his truck
A scientific adventure experiment, a became stuck in a snowdrift, and nearly
glossary, and a “find out more” section lost his fingertips to frostbite. But he
all help you process what you’ve learned. keeps returning to the beautiful Arctic
landscape and to the company of his
favorite animal. With lots of layers and
let national geographic special camera equipment, and with
take you out of the zoo, patience, skill, and perseverance, Norbert
out of the library, and Rosing brings you the wild world of
into the wild! by Norbert Rosing playful cubs and magnificent predators
in Face to Face with Polar Bears.

Jacket design by David M. Seager

Jacket copyright © 2007
with Elizabeth Carney You’ll find answers to questions like . . .
National Geographic Society
Photographs by Norbert Rosing
How does a polar bear find a
tasty seal snack?
Front cover: Face to face with a polar bear.
Front Flap: A polar bear’s expressive eyes. Why is a polar bear’s fur white
Back cover: A playful polar bear frolics with a tire. and skin black?
norbert rosing is a nature and wildlife photographer whose coverage has focused What does global warming mean
primarily on the Arctic, North American landscapes, and the National Parks of Germany. His images have for polar bears?
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY U.S. $16.95 / $21.95 CAN been published in magazines all over the world including NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine, Geo, and BBC
1145 17th Street, N.W.
I S B N 978-1-4263-0139-1 / PRINTED IN CHINA
Wildlife, and he has published a number of books, most recently The World of the Polar Bear. Says Art Join an expert who can take you
51695
Washington, D.C. 20036 into the polar bear’s own magical frozen
Wolfe, conservation photographer, “Norbert Rosing is the best photographer of the Arctic working today.”
[Link] world.

elizabeth carney is a children's writer and editor from New York City. This polar bear close encounter is one
9 781426 301391 you won’t want to miss!