A mother polar bear leads her three tiny cubs out of their den in the forest into a howling wind. A tiny runt pulls up the rear. Their destination is the sea ice on Hudson Bay, where she will begin to hunt seals to help feed her new family. With cubs this small, the journey can be treacherous. Along the way, she has to protect her babies from predators, which would most likely be wolves in this area. The sea ice is approximately 30-40 miles away, and it may take her 3-7 days to get there. It all depends on how well the babies travel.
This is an image from my recent assignment for the Arctic Documentary Project (ADP). If you’re interested in supporting our work to document the changes taking place in the Arctic, please DONATE to Polar Bears International for the Arctic Documentary Project – just type ADP in the honor field on the PBI donation form. These pictures would not be possible without the generous contributions to the ADP. It’s the only way we’re able to get photos and videos like this that encourage people to help save these beautiful animals. You can also keep track of my work on Instagram.