Baby Polar Bears Emerge From Arctic Den in First-of-Its-Kind Footage

A baby’s first outing in the world is quite the milestone — and in the case of polar bears, it’s a major scientific feat to capture that milestone. With the help of satellite tracking collars and remote cameras, researchers documented polar bear cubs emerging from their den in Svalbard, Norway, for the first time, per a study published Thursday (aka International Polar Bear Day).
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The young animals proceeded to meet up with mom and slip and slide around the snow. Baby polar bears spend their first few months in the den, snuggling with their mother, getting stronger, and growing fur. Those dens are in very frigid, remote locations, which is why the new footage is so exceptional.
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“It’s a pretty special thing to see polar bear cubs emerge into this vast, white landscape that appears so inhospitable,” lead study author Louise Archer told Live Science. She added: “Watching them sliding, tumbling, and even climbing up on their mother was truly remarkable.”
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​The adorable footage is also a boon for polar bear protection initiatives. “This study provides a rare glimpse into one of the most vulnerable and critical periods in a polar bear’s life, offering insights that can help guide our collective conservation efforts,” co-author Megan Owen added in a statement. Watch a clip of the baby bears.