Polar bears find refuge in an abandoned Russian village

One Canadian town operates a polar bear jail

The town of Churchill has a population of 850 humans and just as many polar bears. In an effort to prevent hungry bears from breaking into homes or attacking residents, the town began imprisoning them for 30-day stints.

Living side by side: The people and polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba

This article spotlights life in Churchill, Manitoba, where residents and polar bears coexist in close proximity. Churchill has a "polar bear jail" that keeps bears that wander into town before they are relocated. Safety features like a unique radar...

Unlike other bears, polar bears do not hibernate

They do not need to wait out winter because they can find enough food in the Arctic winter, using sea ice as hunting grounds. Pregnant polar bears may be mistaken for hibernating while they den for months at a time.

Polar bears have black skin to better absorb warmth from the sun, but their transparent, hollow hairs scatter and reflect light so that they appear white.

Explore the Arctic from your living room

Explore the unique ecosystem and wildlife of the Arctic tundra thanks to Google Earth and Explore.org. Captured from a series of stationary and moving live cams, watch polar bears gather as they wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze so they can search...

How sea ice decline threatens polar bears

This two-minute video discusses a recent study warning that arctic polar bears are at risk of near-extinction by the end of the century due to the rapid melting of the sea ice they rely on for survival. The study used models based on satellite data...

A day in the coldest village on Earth

The people of Yakutia, a far northern region of Russia, live a challenging, but harmonious, life with nature, facing some of the world's coldest temperatures. Tag along for the day with 9-year-old Arian and his family to see how they manage the cold, from constant wood-chopping to keep their home warm to the meticulous ice fishing which sustains their diet.

The Chernobyl exclusion zone has become a unique wildlife refuge

Within the area—roughly the size of Yosemite National Park—animals such as wolves, bears, and feral dogs descended from the pets left behind have gradually adapted to low-level radiation. Eastern tree frogs in the area have darker skin than usual, which may have helped protect them from ionizing radiation.

Over 200 known species hibernate, allowing them to lie dormant and survive harsh periods when water and food become scarce, such as frigid winter months or scorching summer periods.

Svalbard Brewery is the northernmost brewery in the world, located in a remote Arctic village where there are more polar bears than people.

Life during three months of polar night

In Norway's Svalbard archipelago, night reigns from November to January, as with many communities living within the polar regions. Contrary to popular assumptions about such places, many residents of the region describe the long darkness as peaceful, a time to slow down and draw nearer to neighbors and community. Read more on life in polar night, specifically in the Svalbard town of Longyearbyen, in this essay from a resident there.

Adapt or freeze: How plants and animals thrive in the Arctic Tundra

This article explores the fascinating ways both animals and plants adapt to survive in Alaska's arctic tundra, an ecosystem marked by its extreme weather. Most tundra plants are perennials with short growing seasons that focus on gathering and...

Relax to a livestream of brown bears chilling in Katmai National Park in Alaska.

What's happening to the snowy owl?

This article explores the alarming decline of snowy owls in the Arctic. Once abundant in these northern regions, the snowy owl is now classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The adult population...

In 2018, BBC crews filming emperor penguins decided to break their 'no intervention' rule and save the trapped animals from freezing with their young.

Journey through Norway's frozen frontier

This 44-minute video takes viewers through the Arctic landscapes of Norway, as they learn about the area's life and challenges. Viewers can observe the wildlife that thrives in this harsh setting—from reindeer and polar bears to red foxes. They...

Wojtek the bear fought for Poland in World War II

Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear who eventually became a mascot, symbol, and eventually a soldier attached to the Polish II Corps during World War II. Learn about the amazing Wojtek, the Polish II Corps, and the incredible history of the Polish soldiers, many of whom had been imprisoned by the Germans or Soviets, who served during World War II.

Search for psychrotolerant and psychrophilic microorganisms found in Antarctica

Developed following a five-week expedition to the southern continent, "Life Under the Ice" allows users to examine a petri-dish-like microscopic world and uncover recordings of organisms that can withstand, or even thrive, in the harsh environment.

See a wild bear observe fellow bears at the zoo

At the Sequoia Park Zoo in California, a wild bear visited the bear enclosure to see three bears in captivity. Zookeepers referred to him as a "polite visitor," adding, "He stayed on the boardwalk path, kept two feet on the ground, and didn't try to climb over the railings!"

Bears may have evolved natural mechanisms to prevent blood clots during hibernation, an important development, since inactivity typically leads to blood clots in other animals.

Watch how wild animals are projected into a mall

Centered around a dynamic, ever-changing watering hole, the experience allows you to meet a diverse range of animals from Africa to the Arctic as they graze, drink, and interact with the environment around them.

About 1,200 'grandmothers' returned to their homes after the Chernobyl disaster

After the evacuation of the Exclusion Zone, about 1,200 mostly elderly women illegally went back to their ancestral villages and became known as the "babushkas of Chernobyl." Some have described the trauma of permanent relocation as less tolerable than potential radiation risks.

A Florida nuclear power plant canal system hosts the highest density of crocodiles in North America

Biologists have become regular fixtures at Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, where crocodiles found refuge after Florida's population boom pushed them out of coves and mangrove swamps. Teams working on the plant have done their part to modify the land and help the species thrive.

How is climate change reshaping the Great Northern Wilderness?

This article focuses on how climate change is drastically altering Kluane National Park in Canada and nearby areas in Alaska. Glaciers are struggling: One large glacier is melting so fast that it has redirected a river's flow, a phenomenon that...

Dinosaurs thrived in the Arctic year round

The Arctic in the Cretaceous Period was a rough place to live, especially in winter. And yet, the fossils of many kinds of dinosaurs have been discovered there. So how were they able to survive in this harsh environment?

Why does it matter that the tundra is melting?

This article explores the tundra's unique environment, where specialized plants and animals thrive despite harsh conditions. One of the most important elements of this ecosystem is permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen soil that many tundra...

Why hibernating bears don't get blood clots

For mammals, long periods of inactivity can lead to health problems—blood flow slows and pools, veins kink and distort, and clots potentially form. Hibernation takes this risk to the extreme, yet for decades why animals like bears did not exhibit...

Alaska's Bristol Bay hosts the world's largest self-sustaining wild salmon runs

Nearly 50 million of the fish return to the area each year to spawn, sometimes in the same spot they were born. A journalist tracked the supply chain journey of one sockeye salmon from the sea to the customer's plate.

Watch an animation of Arctic sea ice grow to its maximum

Each year, Arctic sea ice freezes over millions of square miles amid colder temperatures. This 1-minute animation depicts that process using data from the winter of 2022-23.

The Arctic is greening from rising temperatures

This one-minute video summarizes a new study that used satellite data to look at plant life across the entire Arctic area for the first time. It found that from 1985 to 2016, 38% of the areas studied—including parts of Alaska, Canada, and...

Studying the circadian clock of a tiny swimming polar creature may help forecast polar ecosystem health

A 2025 study found that Antarctic krill, a food chain staple in the Southern Ocean, have an internal biological clock that helps regulate its swimming patterns and helps the tiny shrimp-like animals adapt to daily and seasonal environmental changes. Better understanding of how the clock and light cues interact may help scientists understand how well the species will respond to pronounced climate change in the polar region.

Tardigrades can survive in a dehydrated state for decades

Despite being known as water bears, these microscopic creatures can shut down their metabolism when entering cryptobiosis, squeezing more than 95% of the water from their bodies. In this tun state, tardigrades can even survive the vacuum of space.

Learn about the Black Bear Sports Group—a hockey conglomerate changing the ice rink industry

Ice rinks are notoriously difficult to operate, due to the complex cooling systems required to maintain the ice itself, and have an average operating lifespan of 25 years. However, Black Bear Sports Group has made millions by buying up failing ice rinks and running robust youth sports programming.

To prevent floating away from others while sleeping, sea otters may wrap themselves in kelp or hold paws, using physical contact to form groups known as 'rafts.'

How glaciers melt

Greenland and Antarctica are home to most of the world's glacial ice, including its only two ice sheets, making them areas of particular interest to scientists. Watch this three-minute video to learn why understanding them is not just interesting, but crucial to our near-term adaptability and our long term survival in a changing world.

In Yellowstone National Park, gray wolves act as keystone predators by controlling elk and deer populations, which had previously overgrazed and disrupted river systems that supported many more mammal, fish, and avian species.

The bison with mystery origins on California's Santa Catalina Island

Bison roam the 75 square-mile channel island of Santa Catalina about 25 miles south of Los Angeles in the Pacific. It's not clear exactly how they got there, but one theory says 14 of them were dropped off as part of a Hollywood film production. Generally beloved by the locals and vacationers, their numbers ballooned to nearly 600 but dwindled amid resource scarcity. What now? See the state of conservation efforts here.

The sports competition developed on the Alaskan tundra

Alaska's NYO Games invite high school athletes from the state's over 270 indigenous tribes to compete in numerous events based on survival tactics developed by their ancestors. This short documentary from Great Big Story walks through some of the more grueling events and speaks with the Games' coaches and young athletes about how the event preserves their shared culture.

Animals get SAD—especially those in zoos, like pandas

Giant pandas in locations outside their evolved latitudinal range (from southeast Asia to northern regions around Beijing) exhibit more sluggish behavior, even when they were born there. Researchers have observed that similar sensitivities to "photoperiods" (or time with light) impacts many animals, including birds, insects, and our pets. (Nautilus imposes a metered paywall.)

How to dine like they do in 'The Bear'

One of the most exciting aspects of FX's hit show "The Bear" is how it highlights real Chicago restaurants and businesses. This guide to some of the restaurants visited by the show’s characters (and a few that aren’t) includes the real Michelin inspectors’ notes on each spot.

What we can learn from how penguins express affection

Pebbling, a term used to describe small acts of love within a relationship, comes from penguins. Male gentoo penguins, a species of penguin that lives on sub-Antarctic islands, present pebbles to their potential mates later used to build nests. This small but helpful act is something we humans can learn from. Think of the “pebbles” you can share with loved ones on a daily basis.

Disappointment Island

A shipwreck. A freezing island. No trees. No help. Just 16 sailors, stranded for 8 months on Disappointment Island in 1907.

Watch a diving expedition through the world's longest coral colony, which spans more than a football field and whose exact location is kept secret for its protection.

Wildlife use Rome's sprawling archaeological sites as urban havens

The Italian capital features some of the world's most famous monuments as the inheritor of ancient Rome's grandeur. This photo essay explores the city's vibrant collection of wildlife, including long-concealed native crabs, peregrine falcons, and the beaver-like nutria.

The Southern Ocean features the Antarctic Circumpolar Current—the largest ocean current on Earth—which encircles Antarctica and creates a unique biogeographical zone.

The highly contaminated Chernobyl region suffers from reduced biodiversity

Although isolation and radiation have driven adaptations in some organisms, decades of radiation have caused ongoing harm to wildlife and vegetation, including population declines in birds and insects. Higher rates of deformities and tumors have also been seen compared with animals in surrounding regions.

The genetic diversity of dogs is greater within Chernobyl than in surrounding areas

A 2023 study identified that packs of dogs located just 16 kilometers (10 miles) apart within the exclusion zone were more genetically different from one another than from stray dogs hundreds of kilometers away. Rather than radiation, this is likely the result of inbreeding within isolated packs.

Compare the size of presidential residences around the globe

This video shows 3D renderings of official residences from the modest White House to sprawling estates like France's Élysée Palace and Russia's Kremlin, revealing contrasts in scale, architecture, and symbolism across nations.

Ten thousand mink got loose in Ohio

Vandalism freed thousands of mink at a rural northwest Ohio farm, leaving an estimated 10,000 of the small carnivorous mammals unaccounted for, according to the local sheriff.

Instabilities in the polar jet stream can bring cold Arctic air southward

The polar jet stream marks the boundary between mid-latitude air and the much colder polar air, which are normally contained by the polar vortex—a ring of strong winds that circles the Arctic around 16 to 50 kilometers (10 to 30 miles) above the Earth's surface. Climate change may be responsible for "blocking patterns" that distort the jet stream, allowing polar air to leak into lower latitudes.