Photo: Jenny Wong
A Polar Bear Mother’s Story
Big, brilliant, and built for the cold, Anuri is a symbol of the wild Arctic. As she guides her young cub across the icy expanse of Hudson Bay, their journey is one of resilience, survival, and an uncertain future in a rapidly changing world.
Photo: Jenny Wong
Meet Anuri
Anuri, a 24-year-old polar bear, roams the vast and icy landscapes of Hudson Bay. A seasoned mother, she has raised multiple cubs, each journey shaping her into the resilient and resourceful bear she is today. Now, Anuri guides her yearling—a curious, wide-eyed cub—through the frozen wilderness, teaching essential survival skills. Every step across the shifting ice is a lesson in endurance, and every decision is a matter of life or death. For polar bears like Anuri, survival is a delicate balance of instinct, experience, and adaptation. Follow her journey and discover what it takes to raise a cub in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Masters of Survival
Life in the Arctic is unforgiving, but polar bears are built to thrive. Anuri’s thick fur and dense fat keep her warm, even in brutal temperatures. Her powerful limbs carry her across vast ice sheets and propel her through frigid waters, searching for prey. With paws as wide as dinner plates, she treads lightly over thin ice, and her sharp claws provide grip on slippery surfaces. Every adaptation—from her keen sense of smell to the tiny, grip-enhancing papillae on her feet—helps her endure and teach her cub the same skills. In a land of endless white, Anuri’s survival is a testament to the incredible resilience of polar bears.
Anuri’s Life as a Mother
Each season shapes the life of a polar bear. In spring, Anuri mates on the ice, but pregnancy is not guaranteed—only if she gains enough fat to sustain herself and her future cub(s) will the embryo implant in the fall. As winter approaches, she carves a den into the frozen snow, a shelter where she will give birth and remain for months without food or water. Inside, a tiny cub, weighing just over a pound, is born into warmth and darkness, sustained by Anuri’s rich milk. When spring arrives, she leads her cub into the Arctic for the first time—a perilous world where every decision matters.
Photo: Jenny Wong
Teaching the Next Generation
Anuri’s cub is small but full of potential. Every day is a lesson—navigating shifting ice, avoiding predators, and, most importantly, hunting. The sea ice is both their home and their hunting ground, providing access to seals, the lifeblood of a polar bear’s diet. Anuri demonstrates patience and precision, showing her cub how to wait silently by a breathing hole, poised for the perfect moment. As the cub grows, it mimics her every move, learning that survival is not just about strength but about timing, adaptability, and experience.
The Future of Polar Bears
Anuri and her cub walk a path shaped by generations before them, yet the Arctic they call home is changing. The ice that once provided stability is melting earlier and forming later, which leads to less time on the sea ice hunting seals. But Anuri, like all polar bears, is an expert at adaptation. She pushes forward, resilient as ever, guiding her cub with hope. Their future depends on the choices we make today. By protecting their habitat, we ensure polar bears like Anuri continue to roam the ice, hunt, and raise their young for generations to come. Learn how you can help safeguard their future.
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Follow Anuri’s Journey
Want to see where Anuri and her cub are right now? The Polar Bear Tracker allows you to follow their movements across the Arctic. This satellite tracking tool helps scientists monitor polar bear behavior, migration, and how these incredible animals adapt to changing ice conditions.
By following Anuri’s path, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the challenges she faces—long swims, shifting ice, and the daily effort to feed and protect her cub in a changing landscape. Every data point tells a story of survival, resilience, and the importance of protecting the Arctic.
Check out the Polar Bear Tracker and connect to Anuri’s incredible journey.
