15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Polar bear cubs' playtime

These sweet little cubs were sleeping next to their polar bear mom for hours, but as soon as they woke up - you couldn't stop them! They kept playing around on this ice formation as if it was their private playground. Sadly, these were the only cubs I saw on that expedition to Svalbard, which is extremely alarming, since in previous years I've seen many more.. Polars bears are under serious threat of extinction due to climate change.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2017
Date Uploaded: 11.2017
Photo Location: Svalbard, Norway
Camera: NIKON D500
Copyright: © Galitz Roie