Polar bears are the planet’s biggest land-based carnivores – although they actually spend most of their lives around water and ice (their Latin name means ‘sea bear’). So they’re at particular risk ...

Patience: A polar bear still-hunting on the sea ice of Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada. (Courtesy: Jenny E Ross) In the teeth of the Arctic winter, polar-bear fur always remains free of ice – but how?

An international study published in Science Advances has explored the anti-icing properties of polar bear fur in extreme Arctic conditions, revealing a unique mix of lipids in the fur’s sebum – an ...