Urban Survival Stories: Polar Bears Visit an Alaskan Town

The small Alaskan town of Kaktovik is experiencing a tourist boom, and many of the visitors aren’t sleeping in the local hotels! You guessed it – they’re polar bears!!

Polar bears thrive in the cold temperatures of Alaska, thanks to special adaptations, such as a thick layer of blubber and two layers of fur. They can withstand temperatures far below freezing -- and even as low as -50° Fahrenheit! Scientists say the bears come to Kaktovik for food. Climate change has warmed the earth, which melts the sea ice polar bears survive on. Polar bears spend large amounts of time on the ice, where they search for and hunt seals. With the loss of their habitat, the bears must adapt or go hungry. The bears feast on the remains of whales killed by local hunters.

Tourists report being mesmerized by the majestic animals, whose typical white fur has turned brown from the muddy shoreline and can weigh more than 750 lbs and stand 9 feet tall on their hind legs.

You can learn more about the Kaktovik polar bears in this video by ABC News:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eLjlGxHxlM

Sources: ABC News, Condé Nast Traveler