Photos of Polar Bear Mother and Cubs Mark International Polar Bear Day

Stunning images by wildlife photographer Daniel Cox of a polar bear mother and her two cubs emerging from their den were published by PetaPixel to mark International Polar Bear Day, a day PetaPixel calls the 21st annual observance on February 27. PetaPixel ran multiple photos and spoke to Cox about the denning period and the vulnerability of mothers and newborns.

Cox, who PetaPixel notes has been a visitor to Hudson Bay in Canada for years capturing mothers and cubs emerging from their dens around this time of year, framed the moment in stark terms. “Right now, polar bear moms are snuggled with their newborn cubs across the Arctic, preparing to emerge from their dens and begin raising their young out on the sea ice,” Cox says. “This represents the most vulnerable time of a polar bear’s life, and fewer than half of the cubs reach adulthood, on average.”

The photo series captures a range of intimate behaviors and Arctic settings. PetaPixel’s image descriptions include a two-image layout showing a mother and two cubs sitting in the snow on the left and a mother with two cubs climbing on her against snow-covered ground and trees on the right. Other captions describe a mother lying in the snow while two cubs snuggle close, one looking toward the camera with a small evergreen tree nearby; a mother and cub snuggled together amid sparse branches and a blurred background of trees; and a mother cuddling a cub beneath a clear blue sky with small snow-covered bushes nearby. PetaPixel also highlights the action in the frames, noting “the adorable cubs jumping on mom and wrestling one another in well-below freezing temperatures.”

Polar Bears International uses the same seasonal timing to focus public attention and conservation action. “International Polar Bear Day is February 27!” the organization states, noting the day was founded to coincide with the period when “polar bear moms and cubs are snug in their dens.” PBI emphasizes biology and survival statistics, noting that “On average, only about half of all cubs reach adulthood, with even lower survival rates in the most vulnerable populations,” and that polar bear cubs “at birth, they are blind, weigh little more than one pound, and have only a light layer of fur to protect them from the cold.” PBI calls denning “the most critical time in a polar bears' life.”

Polar Bears International is asking the public to engage in specific actions tied to the imagery and the day: donate, tune into live events, start a fundraiser, send a free polar bear e-card, and “sport your Protect Mom & Cubs gear,” merchandise that features characters from the short film Snow Bear and donates a portion of proceeds to conservation. PBI also points visitors to an International Polar Bear Day toolkit and encourages readers to “learn more about our maternal denning research.”

An Instagram caption included with the supplied materials reads verbatim: “Family Portrait Day for International Polar Bear Week. Image #1. This mom and her 2 2 years gave us a great series of images across the week.” Photo credits on Polar Bears International are listed as “Photo: Daniel J. Cox” and “Photo: Meril Darees / Polar Bears International,” and PetaPixel is credited with sharing the series and speaking with Daniel Cox. This year PBI’s public appeal underlines its fundraising priority: “This year our focus is on raising funds to help protect moms and cubs, giving them the best possible chance of survival, while also supporting our other conservation efforts across the Arctic.”