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Polar bear mothers and their cubs are snuggling together in dens across the Arctic right now. In the winter, the pregnant polar bear digs a small snow cave in a snowdrift. It’s just large enough for her to turn around.

She waits for the snow to close the entrance tunnel. Her den is then completely hidden under the snow. She gives birth to one to three cubs, typically in December.

The polar bear family remains in the den until spring. All this time, the mother bear does not eat or drink. She nurses her cubs. Newborn cubs are blind and don’t have enough fur to keep them warm outside. They nurse for 20 months.

Cubs emerge from the den in March or April. Their mothers teach them to hunt seals on ice. The cubs stay with their mother for about three years, then go on to live up to an average of 18 years in the wild.

Protect polar bears during International Polar Bear Day – February 27. Visit Polar Bears International to learn more.