This is one of several amazing moments this female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and her cub shared with us, at 81.31 degrees north of Svalbard, and here they are walking straight towards the boat I’m on to check it out, as their seal carcass was completely cleaned out and thus the hunt for new opportunities went up to the number one priority.
They evoke so many feelings in humans, and I am no exception, as I simply cannot help myself and say “aaaww” when I look at the cub in the image. But during the encounter my heart was filled with awe, amazement, love and admiration, as the cub and her mother are such incredible animals. The cub had a unique way of keeping the lower lip hanging, or drooping, and it just adds to the cuteness that is a cub. And that we humans simply love.
Cuteness aside, this cub has had an amazingly good start in life, as the mother has made it off Svalbard and onto the sea ice, where the food is during the summer months. Chances are that this cub one day is a fully grown specimen, capable of killing a human with just one hit of either of its paws!
Last updated on 21 June 2024
