Bear with us as we head north for International Polar Bear Day, highlighting the challenges faced by the world's largest bear species. It was set up by Polar Bears International, an organisation dedicated to protecting these mammals and their habitat. The date was chosen to coincide with the time when cubs are in their dens being protected by their mothers, as this is the most vulnerable time in a polar bear's life.

These apex predators live and hunt on Arctic sea ice. Their prey largely consists of seals, but they have been known to eat beluga whales, reindeer and other Arctic animals. The polar bears in today's image are in Kaktovik, a small Inupiat whaling community in Alaska, USA. The bears visit the village during the fall, attracted by unused remnants left on the streets by whale hunters.