A wildlife photographer out on an "extreme" expedition captured pictures of a polar bear mother checking out her surroundings.
She was standing upright on her two hind legs as her cubs stood by her side.
British guide Paul Goldstein said he observed the polar bear family during an expedition to Canada on Monday, March 27, as SWNS, a British news service, reported.
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Goldstein said he was leading a small party of photographers "a very long way north" in Baffin Island.
That's when they spotted the bears against the Arctic snow.
"I have guided polar bear safaris and expeditions for 20 years, but this was unique for me," he told SWNS.
"Seeing the mother upright on the ice checking us out with her two-month-old cubs at her feet was remarkable and gave me goosebumps — not just from the minus 20-30 cold," he also said.
He added, "As a photographer, you yearn for originality more than anything else. This may just have come close."
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Goldstein told SWNS, "This is not only an extreme adventure in searing cold — it is also incredibly remote, the nearest tiny community being three hours away. By skidoo," he added.
"Camping on a frozen fjord in these temperatures in Baffin springtime is not for everyone, but those [who] brave the elements can sometimes be rewarded with polar nirvana," he also said.
He said that could be "either a psychedelic aurora — or a moment like this."
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The polar bear "is an iconic but gravely jeopardized species," said the website of the National Wildlife Federation, which is headquartered in Virginia.
"It is so popular among wildlife enthusiasts that it has its own day of recognition, International Polar Bear Day, which falls each year in late February."
The site added, "In spring, female polar bears emerge from dens with their new cubs, making spring a good season for discovering a few amazing and amusing things about this celebrated species."
Among those insights, according to the same source, is this fascinating point.
The polar bear rivals the Alaska brown bear as the world’s largest land predator.
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A large male polar bear may weigh up to 1,500 pounds and grow to nearly 10 feet tall, standing on its hind legs, said the NWF.
In contrast, the females stand "only" up to about 8 feet tall — and "tip the scales at a svelte 550 pounds or less."
