Camouflaged against the ice and snow by their fur, polar bears are swift and wide-ranging travelers. They swim very well and are often found in the water many miles from land or ice packs. Polar bears stalk their primary food source, the seal, often as far south as the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada and the mouth of the Amur River in Russia. While on the hunt, polar bears typically supplement their diets with fish, seaweed, grass, birds, caribou, and the occasional stranded whale. An average adult male polar bear will weigh between 900 and 1,600 pounds and stand about 5 and a half feet tall when down on all four legs.
Females are typically smaller although they can grow quite large too.
Polar bears have hairy pads on the bottom of their broad feet that protect them from the cold and enable rapid movement across the ice. Polar bears are usually shy but they quickly become dangerous when threatened or attacked. Since 1973 the polar bear has been protected by an international agreement that restricts all human hunting to local populations using traditional weapons. The puma is a large, graceful and highly-adaptable cat found in mountain, desert, and jungle regions all over the world. The name puma is derived from the Inca Indians but they are known by several other names including the American Lion, Cougar, Deer Tiger, Mexican Lion, Panther, Painter, Mountain Lion, and Catamount.