Young Polar Bear Sleeping on Small Iceberg in Arctic Sea Snapped in Heart-Wrenching Photo [LOOK]

A young polar bear was captured drifting to sleep on a small iceberg in the Arctic Sea.

Polar Bear Sleeping on Tiny Iceberg

The snap was taken by Nima Sarikhani, a British amateur photographer, off Svalbard's Norwegian archipelago, situated deep within the Arctic Circle. This was roughly 800 kilometers away from the North Pole. The image won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

After spending three days searching for polar bears amidst deep fog, the vessel that Sarikhani boarded decided to alter its course. They sailed towards the southeast and some sea ice. The crew was then able to find two polar bears, one older and one younger male.

Just before the clock hit midnight and as the ship neared the polar bears, the younger one was found climbing onto a tiny iceberg and carving a bed using his paws. He then drifted to sleep after doing so.

According to Thea Bechsoft, a scientist from Polar Bears International, polar bears are known for digging spots for them to sleep on soft ground, such as snow. At times, these are referred to as "day beds." These bears are also known for taking naps that last for one to two hours, especially after having a good meal.

Sarikhani shares that the photograph evoked intense emotions among the several individuals who saw it. Douglas Gurr, the Natural History Museum's director, explains that the poignant and heartbreaking image taken by Nima enables the public to see the planet's fragility and beauty. Gurr adds that the image serves as a stark reminder of the crucial link between animals and their habitat and as a visual representation of habitat loss and climate change's destructive impacts.

The museum notes that the area where the image was taken was among the world's most isolated regions. This Arctic region contains 19 populations of polar bears that depend on sea ice for traveling and offshore hunting.

The winning shot, dubbed "Ice Bed," will be showcased alongside four other images online and in the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition until June 30.

Climate Change Dangers

Climate change is one of the things that poses the biggest threat to polar bears surviving in the wild. This is due to how increasing temperatures end up melting the sea ice that such animals rely on. According to the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), there are only 26,000 polar bears that remain in the wild. These bears are also considered vulnerable to becoming extinct.

Sarikhani explains that though climate change is the biggest threat, he expresses his wishes for the image to evoke, noting how there is still time to fix the mess.

Check out more news and information on Climate Change in Science Times.