Ice Bear: A Natural and Unnatural History of the Polar Bear

by Kieran Mulvaney

The polar bear is one of the most recognisable animals on the planet. Yet if global warming continues at its present pace, summer sea ice could disappear entirely from the Arctic Ocean by the year 2040. Polar bears could be extinct within a generation.

Ice Bear is the definitive account of an iconic species: its life, its past, and its uncertain future. These beautiful bears are creatures of paradox: Arctic residents whose major problem is not staying warm, but keeping cool. Officially classed as marine mammals, they are the world's largest land carnivores. They begin life in a snowdrift; at birth they weigh just twenty ounces. Fully grown, they become massive predators that can walk almost silently, ten feet in length and close to 2,000 pounds. Wandering thousands of miles over the course of a year, they are, above all, creatures of the ice. Without sea ice and the life it supports, polar bears cannot survive.





Kieran Mulvaney is an expert on the Polar regions who has led three expeditions to the Arctic as well as Project Thin Ice 2006: Save the Polar Bear - the successful first attempt to reach the North Pole in summer and draw attention to the impact of climate change on polar bears. This book blends natural and human history, myth and reality with scientific and personal observation, to tell the story of these remarkable animals, the region in which they dwell, and the rapid changes overtaking planet Earth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Science, Biology, Natural History, Environment

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mulvaney tries to give a polar bear's-eye view of the north, laying out the general awesomeness of both the bears and their sea ice world. Then he starts walking through the history of the bears' relations with humanity, spinning tales and detailing issues. The part I like most is the excellent portrait of Churchill, Manitoba, with its bear control security systems and bear-viewing tourism industry. The last part looks to the future, projecting on the grim record of melting sea ice. This part is not for climate change deniers, because the ice really is melting, and Mulvaney really reports what that does to polar bears.

[Sassbot5000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some amazing parts to this book and other parts, that I just didn't care for at all. This book is all about the “Great White Bear” also known as a polar bear. The topics covered range where these bears are found (polar bears are only found in the northern hemisphere and will never get to snack on penguins which are only found in the southern hemisphere), to denning behavior, to more worrisome topics like cannibalism among polar bears and the effects that climate change is having on them.

I thought the section on climate change was one of the best I've ever read in a science book. It gave history on the science behind global climate change and the impact it is having now on the polar bear habitat. I'm a science nerd and climate change has come up in some of my classes but I think this was one of the simplest to understand and yet covered what it needed to get the point across sections I've read. I have a geology book that I plan on reading regarding one of the things Mulvaney mentions in passing, snowball Earth – a topic which has fascinated me since I read about in one of my textbooks. Every science book I've read recently that deals with the Earth, talks about global warming and climate change, but this book just conveyed it perfectly for someone with little or no science in their background. I thought it was perfect!

I found many of the other sections fascinating including denning behavior of female polar bears. The cubs are so cute... which is probably why those are some of the only pictures you see of polar bears – well that, and them being layabouts. The content for most of this book was excellent, engaging and informative.

I can't give this book five stars though. There are two reasons for that. My first reason is one single paragraph. It reads “Little wonder that Derocher was quoted in the Anchorage Daily News as doubting that most of the article's authors 'had ever seen a polar bear' (Despite its clear shortcomings, however, the article was quote often by then-governor of Alaska Sarah Palin in opposition to the notion of granting polar bears greater federal protection).” I can't site the page because I read this on my kindle, but the location was 2807-10. This bugged me because I felt the content in parentheses was unneeded. While Sarah Palin is a public figure and bound to be ridiculed... I don't really understand how this furthers the topic under discussion. The topic is a paper written by some selection of authors that doubted that climate change is posing any threat towards polar bears (which the author cites numerous other sources the show that it is). If the author had then gone on to point on how Palin had effected reduced protection of polar bears, I would have understand but she isn't mentioned again. The biased shown in that sentence bothers me in a science book – which I would hope would take more of an unbiased stance and just present the topic. This was a minor concern of mine because I do know that pretty much anything can be presented with any kind of biases, including things related to science, I felt it important enough to mention.

The second and major reason why I can't give this book five stars are these weird sections where it seemed like the author was trying to write as if he was the bear. These sections are completely fiction because we have no idea how the bear feels or what exactly is their motivation behind certain behaviors. Because of this, I was turned off to those sections and they felt completely out of place to me in a nonfiction science book. I found them fanciful and a nuisance.

So while I thought this book as some absolutely wonderful parts, I can only give this book 4 Stars. It was great, and I highly recommend it anyone interested in animals.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great White Bear
By Kieran Mulvaney
4 stars
pp. 251

I love to take a trip to the polar regions in the heat of the Summer, by book that is. This Summer Kieran Mulvaney was nice enough to escort me on a tour of the Arctic with the particular purpose of learning about and understanding the polar bear in his book The Great White Bear.

I always love finding out more about animals and have been interested in polar bears and their welfare, but really wasn’t that well informed. It seemed like a great opportunity to read a book about polar bears by a journalist and environmental activist such as Kieran Mulvaney. I wasn’t disappointed as The Great White Bear is easily readable for the non-scientist. One can learn much about the habits, the biology and the impact that the changing arctic landscape has on the polar bear. I was delighted to learn about the hunting habits of this great wandering bear. I found it intriguing to learn that this bear is deliberately slow lest it overheat. That and many other interesting tidbits can be found in this book.

Also worth reading are the many”bear stories” and I really liked the ones which were set in Churchill. Here is one which I found entertaining:

Next to us sat Bill Callahan, American by birth but a resident of Churchill for twenty-eight years.
He, too, had a bear story.
Evidently, a community of 800 people is, for Bill somewhat suffocating, so he lives in a cabin outside of town. It makes for plenty of peace and quiet; but he says, “I sometimes get some interesting visitors.”
One night the previous year, a sow with cubs had pushed through his front door and entered his kitchen while he slept. Placing her paw on the stove in an apparent attempt to reach a loaf of bread that was above it the sow pressed the button that lit the burner, singed her paw, recoiled banged into the wall and crashed out through the now open doorway, cubs in tow. Having somehow dozed through the breaking down of his door and the presence of three polar bears in his kitchen, Bill was awakened by the sound of the sow thumping into the kitchen wall. Fully naked but half-conscious, he stood in the kitchen doorway, the chaos not fully apparent to him, the scene lit only by the glow from the stove, prompting Bill initially to wonder how he could have gone to bed and left the gas flame burning.

I believe that it is the wonderful mix of bear stories with the facts and details about the polar bears’ life, environment and biology which make this book so readable. I read it as quickly as a novel and yet the wonder of the arctic and the polar bear have stayed with me. I would encourage anyone with an interest in polar bears to read it.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to the biology and ecology, as well as to the past, present, and future state of this majestic species...and sadly, their future doesn't look good.

This book provides an insightful look at the biology, evolution, behavior, and environmental requirements and diet, as well as a look at the past, present, and possible future of this iconic species. The Muvalney presents this information in a format that is easily followed, and which can be readily understood by non-scientists.

Mulvaney provides detailed information on the conditions required by polar bears to successfully give birth, as well as to obtain the food they need to survive in their hostile environment.

The most notable point in the book for me are Mulvaney's comments in the closing chapters on the current trend of global climate change, and the effects of warming that are happening more rapidly and more extremely in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet. Warming of the Arctic is causing the Arctic Ocean's ice cap to retreat from coastlines earlier, move farther offshore, and stay offshore longer than any time in recorded human history. This combination of events poses a significant stress on polar bears that need access to ice floes in order to capture their primary prey - ringed seals. With the ice cap now receding 200 or more miles from the shore in some places each summer, polar bears are having to endure prolonged periods of seasonal fasting, and are showing signs of chronic undernourishment and stress.

The author also includes estimates and citations from polar bear researchers which suggest that if the current trends of climate change and their effects in the Arctic continue, our children may be the last generation to see polar bears living in the wild.

This book is more than a cautionary tale about a species threatened by conditions arising from a shifting climate, it is a snapshot of a canary dying in a coal mine.

5 stars for message and content
4 stars for writing and flow

I have been following this and related environmental issues for over 20 years...it's past time to pay attention, it's time to take action locally and globally.

Alan Holyoak - Former Director, Environmental Studies Program (1993-2002), Manchester College (IN).

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this a really good overview of polar bears in the wild and our history and future with them. Mulvaney does a great job of describing both the beauty and power of polar bears, as well as the struggles they face with humans and climate change. It obviously made me very sad.

One thing I expected to be touched on in some way, but which wasn't at all, was polar bears in captivity. I would have been interested to read about that side of things too, but Mulvaney doesn't even mention zoos once, which made the picture feel somewhat incomplete, especially since the polar bears in zoos are the only ones most people are ever likely to encounter. That seems like a huge part of the story to be left out entirely. I would have liked a few more photographs and maps as well.

Another thing some reviewers have complained of is the anthropomorphism present during the bits told from a young bear's point of view, but that didn't really bother me a whole lot. We give human thoughts and emotions to animals because we want to connect with them, and connecting with them is what makes us want to protect them. And then there's a long, long history of thinking of polar bears in these terms among the cultures that have overlapped with them. So it seemed fitting in this case.

Anyway, for the most part, I really liked this book, and found it compelling and informative, and I read the entire second half in one sitting. Definitely well worth a read if you have an interest in polar bears.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mulvaney's natural history of the polar bear begins and ends on the icebreaker Arctic Sunrise, venturing into the sea ice of the Arctic to observe its ultimate predator. The author touches on many aspects of polar bear lore, using vivid primary source material to tell of early encounters with explorers, without sensationalizing the subject matter. Mulvaney also follows the lifespan of a typical bear, from conception to adulthood. Polar bears are perhaps the least understood of the great bears, due to their remote habitat and estimated world population of 20,000 to 25,000 individuals. Later chapters examine the impact of climate change on the bear population. This is accessible and informative nature writing, with an annotated bibliography for further reading, though not in the league of other bear books, most notably Doug Peacock's 'Grizzly Years' or Lynn Schooler's thoughtful memoir 'The Blue Bear'. [3 stars out of 5:]
Library Interest - For larger natural history collections or where there is regional interest.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book written by a gifted and imaginative writer. It is a study of the polar bears of the arctic, but it is also partly imaginative and written in a beautiful and loving style. I have been above the Arctic Circle to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, but it was a bit scary not to be able to walk the few streets in the area or to have a window open (it was August)at our bizarre ground floor inn. Later, in a heavy mist, we gained entry to the oil installation and were warned to not wander too far -- our goal was to just see some of the crazy people in our group taking a dip in the frigid waters -- brrrr! As to the life cycle of the polar bears, I learned so much: they only eat four months of the year (the "warmer" ones), and the fear is that their habitat on the ice floes will be a thing of the past. "What has man wraught?" No, polar bear do not really seek out humans to eat, but when their feeding season is still a way off, they made need a little snack to tide them over. Stay out of the way. Beware of the young adults -- they will eat anything.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written book on an urgent topic. The book starts with a short yet harrowing anecdote about an encounter with a starving polar bear, and the description of the animal's suffering was so astute and vivid that it took me several months to muster the courage to finish the book. If you are sensitive to the suffering of our fellow creatures this may not be an easy book to read, but it's an important book to read. I learned some new facts about polar bears and the precise way in which global warming is affecting their lives and habits.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well researched book on polar bears, and their troubling future. At times tedious to read, it nevertheless teaches you a lot. The last few chapters are very sad, describing how bears are malnourished and even resorting to cannibalism. The problem is the ice is melting and we may have passed the point of truly helping these great bears make a comeback in the wild. Hopefully, with better environmental policy humankind can slow the melt, but unfortunately, it may be too little too late.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting, informative book about polar bears. The author describes habitat, hunting, their history in the Arctic and several other topics related to these bears. The chapter on sea ice was especially interesting. There is also much discussion about climate change and what it's doing to these creatures. All in all an enjoyable book except for the climate talk which of course will not end well. Recommended for animal lovers.

[Sarah]

There is enough diversity in The Great White Bear to appeal to a wide audience, from scientists to activists to politicians and even to just the average reader with a soft spot for cute animals or a passing interest in current events.

Full review on The Stanford Daily website.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written, factual book that should be mandatory reading for all. The impact of climate change is huge to this species, and if more people understood the plight of such magnificent creatures, perhaps we could stop climate change from advancing so quickly.

[Artgirlsue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read to educate about the polar bear.

[Rk Wild · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Everything* about polar bears---their environment, behaviors, encounters with humans, and, yes, a chapter on the impact of melting sea ice.

[DaveH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a ton about polar bears and the arctic. Way more interesting than I expected the book to be. Good writing!

[Hina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to get through this book because it was VERY DRY!!! To be fair, how does one write an entire nonfiction book about an animal species (polar bears, in this case) and keep it captivating? It's sure to be challenging!

Well, there were some interesting parts of this book, like how mama bears perform denning and take care of their babies. Humorously enough, there were brief passages sprinkled throughout the book that were from a polar bear's perspective. Obviously, there was a lot of extrapolating and conjecture based on observed behavior, but still, it was funny and also easy to read.

I think my main takeaway from this book is that the life of a polar bear is hard. It's always been hard and is just getting harder as the ice formations retreat. Kieran Mulvaney devotes much of the last chapter to environmental concerns (and rightly so!) and how those have been endangering the polar bears. Though, again, it's very dry. I guess I've learned a bit about polar bears that I didn't know before I read this book, so it hasn't been a complete washout!

[Simon Prior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kieran Mulvaney is probably the best author on the Arctic and Antarctic that you will be able to read. The plight of the Polar Bear and the constant battle to keep them away from human encounters while understanding why they are venturing more and more into civilisation is fascinating. This book is dramatic, but with foundation. Recommended for anyone even slightly concerned about our environment.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kieran writes with great love and experience. Shame that those that most need to read it, never will.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It has some beautiful color plates of bears and the maps could have been better. I had hoped it would read like a Malcolm Gladwell but it was quite tedious at times. Best parts where when it discussed the interaction between bears and people in the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. I didn't enjoy the parts were the author told the story from the bear's point of view/experience. Once the ice disappears not only will the polar bear disappear but also the walrus and certain seals. And he never once mentions a Coca-Cola ad either! It has a good bibliography about the arctic and polar bears. I'd still recommend it for being an up to date book on the polar bear.

[Jake Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was more thorough than I expected. He dispelled myths and such, like an oddly persistent one, where people thought the polar bear's fur channelled UV light to the bear's skin like fibre optic wire, which was interesting. While most of the book did not dwell on conservationism, it did describe the polar bear realistically as a brutal yet patient animal that survives in a brutal environment. The bears need sea ice so that they may continue to survive on their diet of ringed seals who break though the ice to breath. The rise in purposeful cannibalism described towards the end was then troubling, because more polar bears are likely to starve in the future as they are ill adapted to life on land.

[May-Ling · Rating 2 out of 5]

i really love polar bears, so i wanted to dig in deeper. i picked up some interesting facts along the way and definitely know they aren't so cute and cuddly as my stuffed burli bear.

the book itself is not a page turner. also, i was turned off about how the author randomly writes from the perspective from the polar bear, which i find a bit obnoxious. i mean, who knows what these bears are thinking? the most annoying thing was when the author talks about another person's publication, kieran mulvaney. that's right - himself! i've heard people talk about themselves in the third person, but writing it takes it to a whole other level.

[LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and elegant plight of such a beautiful animal. When the ice is gone, so is the polar bear.

[Barbara Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

very readable for the layman.