"Polar bears are masters at conserving energy. During their eight-month fast [when warm weather makes seal hunting nearly impossible due to a lack of sea ice] breeding females can lose as much as 45 percent of their weight. So heat retention is important, to avoid spending too much energy to keep warm."
(Text from "Polar Bears," January 1998, National Geographic magazine)
(Photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Polar Bears," January 1998, National Geographic magazine)
