Home / February

A little reason to celebrate

International Polar Bear Day

Animal · Nature · February 27

A day for learning about polar bears, the big white bears of the Arctic sea ice, and how they hunt, swim and raise cubs in the cold.

International Polar Bear Day falls on Saturday, February 27, 2027. That is 123 days away.

Polar bears live where land gives way to frozen sea. They are among the largest bears in the world, and they spend much of their lives on Arctic sea ice, hunting seals at breathing holes and along the edges of the ice.

The white coat is a little misleading. The fur hairs are not actually white, and the skin underneath is black. A thick layer of fat keeps the bear warm, and wide paws spread its weight on thin ice and work like paddles in the water. Polar bears are strong swimmers and can cover long distances between floes.

Mothers dig snow dens, and cubs are born there in the dark of winter. The family stays sheltered for months before stepping out onto the ice, the cubs following close behind while their mother teaches them to hunt.

The day is marked in the United States too, mostly by people who want to learn more about these bears and the ice they rely on. Classrooms read about them, zoos and aquariums share what their keepers know, and nature filmmakers' footage gets another look. In Alaska, polar bears are a real neighbor in some northern communities, and people there know to keep a careful distance.

For most of us, the closest encounter is a documentary, which suits the bear just fine. It would rather be out on the ice, waiting very patiently by a hole for a seal to come up for air.

Ways to celebrate

• Watch a nature documentary about polar bears and Arctic sea ice.
• Read a library book about Arctic animals with a child.
• Look up what your local zoo or aquarium shares about polar bears.
• Draw a polar bear family emerging from its snow den.

Dates

All national days on February 27

Also on February 27

• National Strawberry Day
• Open That Bottle Night
• Pokémon Day
• No Brainer Day

Categories: Animal daysNature days