Death Metal Grunge Apocalypse - Baby Polar Bears

The band Cryptopsy that told us to prey "I am filth, Born of shit, And I am beloved of flies."  However, if we looked a little bit like the fellow on the left, they might reconsider that statement.  The Polar Bear, or Ursus maritimus, is a bear native to the Arctic Ocean and other surrounding seas.  The polar bear also just happens to be the largest predator on land.  While normally one would never hope to encounter this terrifying killing machine (unless hoping to meet their certain doom), one cannot help but feel the sudden urge to hug a baby polar bear.  Between November and February, polar bear cubs are born blind, weighing less than two pounds.  On average, each litter has two cubs.  "Well... I play around with my mommy... and my sister... and we like... uh... play in the snow and stuff... and we eat..."  Said one polar bear cub when asked about family life.  His sister was heard in the background complaining to "mommy" about how Teddy pushed her down a snow bank.  Sadly, snow banks and teasing brothers aren't all these tiny, cute animals have to worry about.  Cubs may fall prey to wolves, to adult male polar bears, or to starvation.  Global warming is also posing a great threat to polar bears.  The key danger is malnutrition or starvation due to habitat loss.  Rising temperatures cause the sea ice to melt earlier in the year, driving the bears to shore before they have built sufficient fat reserves to survive the period of scarce food in late summer and early fall.  On a positive note, baby polar bears are so adorable they are gaining celebrity in the human world.  One of the rising stars of baby polar bear-dom is Knut.  Knut is a polar bear born in captivitiy at the Zoologischer Garten Berlin.  He was rejected by his mother at birth and was raised by zookeepers.  He was the first baby polar bear to survive past infancy at the Berlin Zoo in more than thirty years.  Hooray!  He even has his own theme song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNWrFmCCfXw).   Even though I am not fluent in German, It is clear to tell that these lyrics are  happier than those of "Orgiastic Disembowelment."  Remember kids,  only you can prevent forest fires?