North Star

Ursula pondered why males were such a threat. After all, it was an amorous male who made it possible to have a cub. But now that she was expecting her own cub, she knew that particular males were indeed a threat. Hungry males without food would hunt, kill and eat a cub if it was the only prey. A starving male is truly dangerous to any creature smaller than it. That is why it was easy to spend time with her brother Mato and the other males. They were well fed! They had the bounty of a Right Whale over 70 feet long. They also knew how to hunt as a team. Well-fed males were easy to be around. They might even be generous. Ursula wondered why females never ate their young. She could feel the maternal instinct strong inside of her and concluded that it was stronger than starvation. A mother couldn’t prey on a cub, even if it belonged to another. However Ursula had no problem hunting the offspring of another species. Her favorite hunt was for a ring seal pup. It was quick, simple, and left nothing behind to attract hungry males. Ursula knew that she needed to stay healthy enough to make the swim, build a den and prepare for her cubs. She needed to store as much energy as possible, as it would be up to five months of fasting in the den, then nursing her young for a few months after. She would be one hungry polar bear without any concern for the fact that her prey was young. She sometimes envied the male polar bears for the simplicity of their survival. Their only concern was themselves. Yet males had to eat twice as much all the time, since they are twice as large.