Ice cold, freezing cold, polar bears on stamps

As I write this piece, it is -5°C outside. Skating enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the announcement “It giet oan”. Could it finally happen again, the Eleven Cities Tour? For those who are sensitive to the cold, it’s not necessary. They talk about wind chill temperatures of at least -15°C and grumble that it really should get a bit warmer for a change. It is “polar bear cold”. And precisely for this king of the North Pole, it can never be cold enough. The polar bear is threatened by global warming. A polar bear on a loose ice floe, United Nations Geneva (1997) and a stamp from 1995 from Greenland. Polar bear, endangered species Due to climate change, ice masses are shrinking. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for polar bears to reach their hunting grounds. Furthermore, the water freezes over later and the ice melts earlier. This shortens the hunting season. Consequently, polar bears can become weakened by a lack of food. Rising global temperatures also cause snow dens to collapse more frequently. Young polar bears are buried under the snow as a result and usually do not survive. As stated on the website of WWF As can be read, shrinking ice masses are causing problems not only at the North Pole but also at the South Pole. The breeding season and the penguins' schedules are being jeopardized. More information and beautiful penguin stamps? Click here. A teddy bear like on this stamp from Norway (1996) or a dangerous predator like on the stamp from Romania (2007)? Colossal teddy bear Colossal, yes; cuddly bear, no. They look so cute, especially a mother with cubs. But the polar bear is extremely dangerous to humans. It is one of the few animal species that views humans as prey. A polar bear desperately searching for food will not hesitate to kill a human. Especially in the summer when the ice melts and some polar bears move to the mainland, there is a high chance that they will attack people. Unless you have a gun to scare them off, you will not be able to defeat this giant bear. Not only is he very big and heavy (between 300 and 600 kilos), he can also run very fast and is smart. The oldest stamp with a polar bear on it that I found, Canada 1953, and the newest one from the United States from 2009. Diet and hunting Polar bears are the largest predators on Earth. They primarily hunt seals. It is almost impossible to imagine, but their sense of smell is so good that they can detect their prey from as far away as 30 kilometers. Even through holes in the ice, a polar bear can smell that a seal is nearby. He then waits patiently until a seal surfaces through one of these breathing holes and strikes. Another hunting technique involves stalking seals when they are lying on the ice. And although the polar bear appears rather clumsy, it can reach a speed of 55 kilometers per hour when chasing its prey. Besides seals, it also eats small rodents, seabirds, and fish, and in the summer, sometimes plant-based food such as berries and grasses. A beautiful, detailed stamp from 2009 (Hungary) next to a simple one from 1966 (Bulgaria). Behaviour Polar bears usually live alone, but sometimes in groups in places where there is plenty of food. They are then quite tolerant, but during the mating season, males are aggressive towards one another. The polar bear is active day and night, and even in winter. Pregnant females hibernate. In bad weather, the other polar bears often dig a temporary den or press themselves against the ground. They are then covered under a layer of snow, but the polar bear fur is water-repellent, and with a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, they retain their body heat. I find this stamp from Russia (2006) beautiful, and the one from Poland from 1978 very touching. Reproduction The mating season is from March to June, but the embryo likely does not develop until October or November. As a result, the gestation period lasts 200 to 250 days. A pregnant female hibernates in a snow den that she digs herself. The cubs are born in this den in December or January. There are usually two of them. They do not leave the den for the first time until they are about three months old. Male polar bears are avoided because they can kill the cubs. The female cares for her young alone. They are suckled for a long time and do not become independent until after 24 to 28 months. Polar bears can live to be 32 years old in the wild and 42 in captivity. Will polar bear cub Knut reach this age? Knut Knut was born on December 5, 2006, in a zoo in Berlin and rejected by his mother. Thomas Dörflein, who died in 2008, became the polar bear cub's permanent caretaker and educator. After Knut was presented to the public for the first time in March 2007, a massive media hype and a wave of merchandising ensued. Notably, Knut has a own websiteGermany issued a stamp in honor of Knut in 2008, and Azerbaijan even two a year earlier. Lars the little polar bear Even Lars the Little Polar Bear has his own stamp. Switzerland featured this endearing little polar bear on a stamp in 2008. Lars is a cartoon character created by an illustrator with a very fitting name, Hans de Beer. The original story has already been translated into 25 languages. Lars's stories are popular. Lars is no hero. In life, he finds his own way. In doing so, he is allowed to make mistakes. No one expects him to know everything. Sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend, he experiences all kinds of adventures. The first picture book was published in Switzerland in 1987. Many more followed after that. In 2001, a film was even made about Lars. Attention for the polar bear. Canada also drew attention to the polar bear again in 1998 and 2003 with these stamps. As far as I am concerned, attention cannot be drawn to endangered species often enough. Perhaps an idea for the WWF: a series of personalized stamps featuring endangered species.