North America’s Apex Predator

     North America has many predators, but which one is its top predator? Could it be the great white shark? The invasive species the python? How about the python’s only predator the alligator? Could it be maybe the wolf or the grizzly bear? Maybe even the pesky mosquito?

     
     Many of these animals are the apex predators in their habitat, but which is the king of North American predators? With over 700,000 human deaths world-wide to its credit, one might think it’s the mosquito, but this pesky little reaper isn’t considered a predator. All these predators    mentioned above are capable killers and have even killed humans from time to time, but there is only one king. This massive beast has been turned into a political pawn by the environmental groups. These people have depicted this apex predator as a defenseless creature adrift on the ice. It has been said that their food supply is in such short supply that they eat their own offspring and that in a few short years their habitat will disappear.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Polar Bear

     The first thing we notice about this bear is color of its fur. The polar bear is white, right? Yes and no. the color is more of an optical illusion. The fur of the polar bear is two layers of thick hollow translucent hair that reflect its surroundings, with its black skin this bear is right at home in the artic north. The next thing we might take note of is its size. The polar bear is the largest bear in the world. The males can grow to nine and a half feet and stand over five feet at its shoulder. These massive predators can weigh up to sixteen hundred pounds with the largest ever recorded weighed in at 2,210 pounds and stood at eleven feet.


     These bears are forceful swimmers. They can cover up to sixty miles at a time without stopping and can reach speeds of six MPH, they can also dive down to fifteen feet for two minutes. The next time you see one of these majestic bears on an ice flow adrift on the Bering Sea, don’t feel sorry for him he is right at home.


    

Why is the polar bear he apex predator of North America? Its sheer size and strength are a major factor. Another reason is their hunting ability. These ice bears have an amazing sense of smell, they can smell prey from ten miles away. They also stalk their prey on ice flows and even while they swim. If A polar bear spots a seal laying on the ice, he will swim up to the backside of the ice and in one quick motion jump from the water and charge the seal. Though only 2% of the hunts are successful. They will also stalk a seal swimming under the ice and wait for it to come up for air and pounce. Polar bears have no fear of man and have been known to take sled dogs and even stalk the musher. Polar bears are opportunistic feeders, if one comes across a recent kill or a washed-up whale carcass, that will do nicely.

     Polar bears are fierce. They fight over females, hunting grounds and to protect their food. A polar bear fight is an awesome sight, the two bears will rise up on their hind legs, swat and claw each other with their twelve-inch paws, they push, bite and wrestle each other until one runs away bloody, with deep scratches, bites and maybe a missing tooth or two. There is another side to these massive predators. Polar Bears also have a playful side, at certain times of the year big males, that are usually solitary will find a friend to travel and spar with until mating season then all partnerships are dissolved
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     Like many other animals’, (the lion, baboon and even the red squirrel), males will kill the offspring of other males. This protects his blood line and saves food for his young. This is also done so that the female will go into heat and be ready to mate. More times than not, this will begin with a fight with the female protecting her cub.


     As you can see these helpless political pawns are not so helpless. Some predict that the polar bear population will plummet by 50% by 2050, but since the 1960’s when there were 12,000 bears to the last count of 2019 of well over 28,000 bears, it seems like the apex predator of North America are thriving