The World of the Polar Bear

Julie Rekai Rickerd is a Toronto-based broadcaster and public-relations
consultant.

Whatever the cause, global warming is a fact. Nowhere is it more evident
than in the Arctic regions of the world, home to that magnificent
species of mammal known as polar bears. These spectacular creatures are
descendants of the Siberian brown bears, which were trapped in the
world’s northernmost lands by advancing glaciation about 100,000 years
ago. Thanks to the abundance of food in the form of seals, and the
absence of predators, these bears were able to adapt to their harsh new
environment. As the Arctic warms, however, their survival is at risk.

With the assistance of his wife, Elli, and several Inuit and park
ranger guides, German photographer Norbert Rosing captured stunning
images of polar bears in the Canadian north, along with their fellow
northern neighbours such as birds, seals, walruses, foxes, and muskoxen.
The book’s accompanying text describes the remarkable annual life
cycle weathered by each species in these treacherous northern climes.

The World of the Polar Bear is divided into four seasonal chapters
(spring, summer, fall, and winter), and follows the birth and ensuing
life of a remarkably photogenic cast of creatures. Among the amazing
photographs are polar bear mothers rearing and protecting their
offspring, flocks of snow geese migrating, curious arctic fox pups, a
herd of rare muskoxen, pods of “smiling” beluga whales, seals, and
elusive walruses, as well as the multi-coloured northern lights.

Rosing’s magnificent homage to the Far North is supplemented with an
excellent essay on the art of wildlife photography, a list of technical
information regarding the equipment and settings used for each shot, and
a useful map pinpointing the polar bears’ whereabouts. The World of
the Polar Bear is a book to be savoured and cherished by lovers of
wildlife and exquisite photography.