The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-05-14
THE POLAR BEAR.
HAS IFS HOME IN THE DESC
LATE ARCTIC WASTES.
Very SaSacious and Cunning, but
Playful Rather Than Fierce
Good Swimmcr-Moth-
or Bruin Anectionate.
UHE polar bear, tho hammock


which live in warmer countries. 1t Is
very sagacious and cunning, some
times playful, but is not very saw
age beast and will rarely attack a hun
ter unless in self-defence or when
driven by hunger to fall upon every
thing that comes in its way. DIR.
Kane, the great arctic traveller, saws
he has himself shot as many rs n
dozen bears near at hand, and never
but once received charge in return.
The hair OF the polar bear is very
coarse and thick, and white like the
SHOW banks among which 1t live. It's
favorite food is the seal, which abounds
In the northern regions; it will also
eat walrus, but as that animal is very
strong, and possesses II pair of formid-
able tusks, bears are sometimes beaten
In their attempts to capture it. Won
derful stories are told of bears mount
ing to the top of high cliffs and push
ing heavy stones down upon the head
OF some unwary walrus sleeping or
summing himself at the foot, and then
rushing down to dispatch the bruised
or stunned animal, but arctic travel
ers disagree on this point. A very
hungry bear will sometimes attack n
walrus IL the water, for the polar bear
Is n powerful swimmer but In his pc
culiar element-and he is never very
far from 1.-THE walrus is the best
lighter, and his tough hide serves as
nm almost impenetrable armor.
AS seal hunter the polar bear dis
plays much cunning. 1t will watch
patiently for hours in the vicinity of
seal hole in the ice, and the instant
It's prey comes out to basl in the sun.
the sly bear crouches, with its fore
paws doubled up under its body, while
with its hind legs it slowly and noise
lessly pushes and bitches itself along
toward the desired game. Does the
seal raise its head to look around. the
bear remains motionless, its color
making it hardly distinguishable, I'M
til the unsuspectin2 seal takes another
nap. When the bear is near enough.
with a sudden movement it seizes the
innocent and defenseless victim. and
makes fat feast. Unless it is very
hungry, it eats little besides the blub
Der, leaving the rest for the foxes. It
is said that arctic foxes often follow
in the path of bears, and gain their
entire living from the refuse of the
bears feast.
The nest of the she-bear is won
derful illustration of instinct, and n
proof of the fact that n thick wall of
snow Is an excellent protection against
cold. Toward the mouth of December
the bear selects spot at tho foot of
some cliff, where she burrows in the
snow, and, remaining quiet, allows the
heavy snow storm to cover her with
drifts. The warmth OF her BODY en-.
larges the hole so that she can move
herself, and her breath always keeps n
small passage open in the roof of her
den. Before retiring to these winter
quarters she eats voraciously, and be-
comes enormo usly fat, so that she is
able to exist long time without food.
In this snuggery the bear remains un-
til some time in March, when she
breaks down the walls of her palace.
and comes out to renew her wander.
ing life, with some little white baby
bears for hCr companions, which have
been born during her long seclusion.
The mother bears affection for her
little ones is so strong that she will
lose her life defending them. Two
erctlc huntsmen once saw a bear talk
ing promenade on an ice island with
two little cubs. Chase was given Mt
once, but the bear did not perceive
the hunters until they were within
five hundred yards of her. She then
stood up on her hind legs like dan
cling bear, gave one good look at her
pursuers, and started to ran ut full
speed over the smooth ice, her cubs
close at her heels She hud the adj
vantage Of the hunters, rs the feet of
the polar bear are thickly covered
with long hair natures wise provis-
ion to keep the animal from Slipping
but the ice soon broke up into vast
eVpanse of slush, and here the little
cubs stuck fast. The faithful mother
seized first one and then the other.
proceeded with so much difficulty
that the hunters were soon uoar
enough to fire at her. The little ones
chung to their mothers dead BODY.
md it was with great difficulty that
the hunters succeeded in dragging
them TO the camp, where they stoutiv
resisted all friendly advances, and bit
and struggled and roared as loud ms
they could.
Bears often annoy arctic travellers bv
breaking open the caches, or store.
houses, left along the line of march
for return supplies. DR. Kane relates
that be found one Of his caches. which
had been built with heavy rocks laid
together with extreme care, entirely
destroyed, the bears apparently hav
ing had grand irollc, rolling about
the bread barrels, playing football
with the heavy iron cases of pemmican.
and even Rnawing TO shreds the Ameri.
can flag which surmounted the cache.
Roast bcnr meat is very palatable
and welcome food TO travellers i'm the
dreary frozen arctic regions, and Mt
the cry of ''NanIOok nannook :" a
bear a bearl') from the Esquimaux
guides, both men and dogs start in
eager pursuit. The bear being white
like the snow, it often escapes detec.
ton, and DR. Kane mentions ap-
preaching what he thought was heap
OF somevhat dingy snow, when he was
startled ny o ''menagerie roar, which