Social Behavior

In Inuit legend, the polar bear was called 'the great lonely roamer.' Polar bears are essentially solitary creatures. Mating pairs stay together for about a week before going their separate ways. The most significant bond in a polar bears life is between an adult female and her cubs. A mother will care for her cubs for two or three years, sharing her food, teaching them to hunt and defending them with her life, if necessary.

A mother's protection may even extend to cubs that are not her own. Scientists have observed tagged females with different sets of cubs from year to year.

In areas with a large polar bear population, bears will eat simultaneously, but seldom interact.