What Happens When Polar Bears Wake Up Hungry?
In What Happens When Polar Bears Wake Up Hungry?, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that a mother polar bear must hunt seals before the spring ice melts. However, a blizzard threatens her two young cubs, and the sea ice is a dangerous place for them. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why doesn’t the mother keep her cubs safely away from the ice?
A: She must hunt and eat seals, and the cubs follow her.
Q: Why do you think almost half of all polar bear cubs die in their first year?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may suggest that cubs fall into the water and freeze or drown or that they are hunted by other predators.
Q: What do you think would happen to the polar bears if the planet warms up enough to melt the Arctic ice earlier in the year?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may suggest that there won’t be enough ice for the mother to hunt when they come out of hibernation, and they will starve.
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