Arctic Wildlife and Environmental Challenges

In March, light returns to the Arctic, ending months of darkness. A polar bear emerges from her den, marking the start of spring. Her cubs, seeing the world for the first time, are called by their mother. Despite her hunger, the mother bear feeds her cubs with milk made from her fat reserves. As the spring sun melts the sea ice, the mother must hunt seals to feed her cubs before the ice breaks up. The video concludes with a promotion for UN videos.

What natural event marks the end of winter in the high Arctic?

• The migration of seals

• The blooming of flowers

• The melting of ice

• The return of light

Why does the polar bear toboggan down the slope?

• To clean her fur or for joy

• To escape predators

• To find a new den

• To hunt for food

What is the only food the cubs have known since birth?

• Milk

• Berries

• Seal meat

• Fish

How long has the mother bear gone without eating?

• Four months

• Three months

• Two months

• Five months

What challenge does the melting sea ice present to the mother bear?

• It leads to food scarcity

• It attracts more predators

• It causes the den to flood

• It makes hunting seals more difficult

Why do the cubs still need the den's shelter?

• To learn how to hunt

• To avoid the melting ice

• To stay warm in the cold

• To hide from predators