| The Boreal Forest is a very important part of a mother Polar Bear's life cycle. It is here in the Western Hudson Bay region that female bears dig snow dens to give birth to their cubs. At one time not too long ago it was fairly common to see 3 cubs with their mothers, however times have changed dramatically since the mid eighties. The sea ice in Hudson Bay is melting sooner and freezing later than in past years causing these polar bears to face an ever increasing challenge for survival. The Polar Bear's main food source is the Ring Seal which they hunt through leads or caverns in the sea ice on Hudson Bay. The mean average weight of adult Polar Bears has dropped by about 60 lbs in the last 2 decades! It would also appear the cubs may not be as healthy, possibly indicating 1 or 2 cubs will be the norm for these mothers in the not so distant future. | 
