Rare Footage Captures Polar Bear Cubs’ First Steps—and a Troubling Trend

Polar bears may not be the vicious killers you imagine, but it’s still wise not to get too close. Now you don’t have to, as a team of biologists has captured rare footage of cubs taking their first steps outside the dens in which they were born. Typically, polar bear denning is studied via satellite telemetry, but while useful, it’s not great for learning about the subtleties of the behavior. The photos are the culmination of almost 10 years of work, in which the biologists still tracked the bears via collars and satellites but innovated by installing cameras in a remote part of Norway. The result is a rare firsthand glimpse of furry bear babies taking their first steps into the wider world. Polar bears are classified as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. There are roughly 26,000 of the bears left in the wild, a number that could decline by up to 30% by 2050. The danger is largely human-made, with Polar Bear International listing cl ... Read full article.