Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-04-19
HABITS OF THE POLAR BEAR.


Not as Dangerous as the Wnirus OF
Hooded Seal.
The following description of the life
and habits of the polar bear from the
pen of the eminent naturalist, Kerr
Muller, Is from the London Field:
The character of the polar bear is
curious MIXTURE of cowardice and dar-
ing, for it will fly at the sight of man,
but will often come close up to the
huts and sometimes even try to enter
them.
When met with in the water bears
are killed with harpoons. On receiving
the first wound the animal utterS loud
roars, seiZes the weapon with its teeth.
pulls it out of the injured part ana
hurls it far away: sometimes. but by
no means invariably, it will turn upon
its assailant. Quickly it receives an
other spear or bird-arrow from Il sec
ond kayakman, against whom it turns
after treating his weapon in the same
manner and sometimes breaking it;
and in this way the struggle is contin-
ued until the bear is overcome. The
most important precautionary rule
which the hunters have to observe is.
when during the fight the animal had
dived to keep sharp lookout down
into the water in order that it may
not come up unawares right under
kayak; its white CLEAN can always be
seen when it approaches the surface,
and there is time to get away If it be
coming too near. When bear is en-.
countered in the water, or amid some
what scattered ice, its capture is con-
sldered certainty, for, although an
excellent swimmer, it cannot get away
from n kayak. In the northern col
onies where they are seldom seen. the
Greenlanders appear to be afraid Of
them; but such is far from being the
case in the Julianshaab district. where.
in the water, at any rate, they are
considered as much less dangerous
than the walrus or hooded seal
The food of the bear consists mainly
of seals, which, however, they can
not seize in the water, but only when
lying on shore on ice; but as the seal,
when in such positions, is extremely
watchful and wary, the stalk is often
fruitless, and the bear is. obliged more
frequently than suits him to depart
with an empty stomach. Carrion they
take at any time; in summer they rob
birds nests of their eggs and young
ones, and appear to be partial also to
berries. Probably, too, they live upon
sea fowl, seizing them from below
while resting on the water. According
to Brehm, their ordinary food is fish
and they even capture salmon in the
sea; this, however, 1 have never had
confirmed by the Grecnlanders, who
all consider that the bears powers of
swimming would not be equal to it.
According to the same authority,
neither reindeer, foxes, nor birds are
safe from the polar bear, but this,
think, is mistake. Nature has intend
ed that it should seek its prey in the
water and on the ice, rather than on
the land.
When really hungry there are few
things which bear will reject-down
to old skin garments and tarred ropes
ends-which may sometimes be found
in his stomach. 1t is under such cir
cumstances that it ventures close to
the huts and devours whatever it can
find, sometimes even attempting to en-
ter. In the winter of 1867 bear
was shot at Godhayen with the whole
Of the forepart of the body in an oil
cask which it was licking. In the
Julianshaab district it is not unusual
for these animals to visit the Green
landers' provision stores, where they
keep their dried seals flesh, etc. tear
the stones away from the entrance
and clear the place completely out. At
Kangarsak, few miles to the north
Of Holstenborg, in the winter of 1915,
a bear pulled to pieces all the Green
landers' fox traps and ate all the
foxes found. In March, 1897, Green
lander at Holstenborg fell in with
fresh bear spoor which he proceeded
to follow. The animal had gone a GER
tain distance by land and afterward
to the seashore, where it had eaten
seaweed and mussels and then entered
the water.