Mother bear endures 9-day swim

Shrinking polar ice fields are being blamed after a mother polar bear was found to have swam nine consecutive days in search of rest. The bear lost a cub and 22 per cent of its body weight during the ordeal, according to a new study on the movements of female polar bears. Ice fields in the Beauford Sea, where the swim took place, have been shrinking in recent years. As a result, bears there are being forced to endure longer and longer treks in search of food and shore.

Toronto Star