Polar Bear Cub on the Arctic Coast
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
This cub stayed close to its mother while she napped.
At this age, cubs are curious but cautious, learning the rhythms of life on the ice and along the shore. They'll spend two to three years with their mother before striking out on their own, and the lessons learned during that time determine whether they survive.
This one watched us from maybe forty yards, more interested than alarmed, while its mother kept one eye on us and one on the water. Photo © copyright by Carl Donohue.