Harold Wright, Jr. aged 12 of Santa Rosa, California, for his question:
How long does a polar bear live?
The polar bear is born in a cave of ice. His mother hollows out a little den for herself and her babies in the snow. The Arctic winter freezes the walls solid and hard. You would never guess that the new born cub may grow to be one of the biggest meat‑eating animals in the world. He is only ten inches long. His eyes are shut tight and his skin is pink and hairless. Chances are he has a twin. Both babies are completely dependent upon big, white Mama Polar Bear.
She is a good mother. Her shaggy fur coat is warm enough to keep the naked cubs comfortable. It is winter time. Their home in the Arctic Circle is shrouded in darkness. Mrs. Polar Bear hibernates with the babies. Mr. Polar Hear stays, out all night ‑ which lasts for six months.
Come March, the first rays of the sun peep w er the horizon. The six months Arctic day is dawning. Our bear cub and his twin are ready to greet it. Their eyes are open and their bodies are covered with downy white fuzz.
It's time for school. And Mrs. Polar Bear is the teacher. She takes her pupils on trips to show them their native home. Everywhere is frozen snow. For polar bears live on the fringes of the Arctic Ocean. They don't mind walking on ice. The soles of their feet are almost all covered with fur.
Very soon the twin cubs are taken to the water. At first they are towed through the icy seas holding onto Mama's stubby tail, Later they learn to float and paddle themselves with their front paws. Mama scolds and boxes their ears when the pupils are lazy. They learn to dive and somersault in the water. Swimming lessons are full of fun and frolic.
Later the cubs are taught to hunt. They learn how to catch fish. They learn how to sneak up on a fat seal flat on the tummy and slowly sliding forward. Smart mothers teach their cubs to put their paws over their noses when they get close to their victims. For those black noses show up against the snowy white background.
The growing cubs learn to eat seaweed to add to their meat diet. As summer approaches, Mrs. Bear takes them inland to seek for grasses and plant food. They learn to travel over the sea by floating on ice floes. By the time they are 17 months old, the young polar bears are well educated and about half grown. It is time to leave Mama and start life on their own.
In his native area, the polar bear has few enemies other than men. His chances of living to a ripe old age are good, A few are gobbled up by the hungry killer whale. A few are unlucky enough to get on an ice floe going south. As the ice melts these poor fellows are left at sea too far from land to swim for shore.
A lucky polar bear can expect an adventurous and active life for about thirty years. By that time is is an old fellow. However, it he avoids his enemies, he can enjoy some four or five more years of life.