The image capturing the moment a polar bear appears to be… breathing fire has sparked excitement and controversy among many people. So what is the truth behind this photo?
The “viral” image was shared by a user on Twitter before being disseminated across various social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. It shows the moment a mature polar bear stands in a snow-covered area, with light emanating from its mouth, as if the animal is breathing fire.
This image has stirred much debate in the online community, with many claiming that it is merely a product of photo editing software.
The image of the polar bear appearing to breathe fire has sparked much debate in the online community. (Photo: Twitter).
However, in reality, this is a genuine moment, and the photo has not been edited. The photograph was taken by American wildlife photographer Josh Anon in 2015, but it has recently gone “viral” again on social media.
This image was captured by Anon during an expedition to the Arctic to photograph the aurora borealis and the wildlife in the area.
Josh Anon explained that the light near the bear’s mouth, resembling sparks, is actually sunlight reflecting off the ice and fog in the Arctic. Anon intentionally chose the angle to make the sunlight look like flames emanating from the mouth of the polar bear.
Only when the truth about the photo was revealed did the debates in the online community begin to settle. Many admitted that Josh Anon had successfully captured the right angle and moment to create a “timeless” photograph.
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Polar bears are the largest land carnivores, inhabiting areas around the Arctic Ocean, including the Arctic, Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Russia, and Norway. Mature male polar bears can weigh between 350 to 540 kg, with some cases exceeding 800 kg, although this is quite rare. Female polar bears are about half the size of males, weighing between 200 to 300 kg and standing 1.9 to 2.1 meters tall, while male bears can reach heights of 2.4 to 2.6 meters when standing on two legs. The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 1002 kg and stood 3.39 meters tall on its hind legs. The primary diet of polar bears consists of seals. When food sources are scarce, polar bears hunt whales, walruses, rodents, and even younger polar bears. Polar bears are highly skilled predators, capable of swimming kilometers out to sea to hunt. They also excel at stalking prey on land. To adapt to one of the harshest environments in the world, polar bears have thick fur and a layer of fat to keep warm and protect their bodies from the cold. They have black skin, which helps them absorb sunlight and stay warm. Notably, polar bear fur is not actually white as many believe; in reality, their fur is transparent, and the white appearance is a result of the reflection of sunlight. |
Global warming is impacting the habitat and hunting abilities of polar bears. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists polar bears as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and declining populations.
