Scientists have researched this and discovered that polar bears tend to use their right and left paws equally.
Left or Right?
A number of people seem to make the assumption that polar bears are left handed, however there has been no concrete evidence or research to suggest this. As mentioned above, Polar Bears International have stated that scientists believe that both paws are used equally and most polar bears do not use either the right or left more frequently than the other.
Their Paws
Polar bears have four large paws that enable them to move on ice and snow as well as capture prey and feed. On each paw, a polar bear will have five toes that are slightly webbed and they can grow to a diameter of around 12 inches. The toes contain a curved claw that polar bears use for hunting as well as having a firm grip on snow and ice. In addition, the sole of all four paws are covered with a thick black coating with very fine white hairs.
How Do They Use Them?
Their paws are designed in a certain way to help them survive and move around in their natural habitat. It provides grip so they can wander in ice and snow with ease as well as use their paws as paddles when swimming in water. The claws distributed on each toe enable them to capture and kill their prey. Moreover, their paws are evenly spread and very large which helps them to support their body weight.
Polar bears, native to the Artic region of the world, have been found to be left-handed or, for better words, left-pawed. Just as all humans have a dominant hand, so do animals. Apparently eighty percent of dogs prefer their right paw over their left and studies on cats have concluded that approximately twenty percent preferred their right paw. thirty-nine percent preferred their left paw and fourty-one percent were found to be ambidextrous. Polar bears, sometimes called the northern bear, sea bear or white bear; make use of their dominant left paw particularly when hunting. When stalking prey, the polar bear draws its' right paw across its' black nose so as to cover up the darkest part on it's body and futher camouflage itself. The polar bear then approaches it's prey and uses its' stronger, dominant, left paw to tenderize its' prey before enjoying his meal.
Polar Bears are NOT left handed, nor do they cover their noses with their paws when hunting.
Hundreds of hours of observation has never once documented a case of a Polar Bear consciously covering its nose when hunting, or favouring one paw over another.
Bears are ambidextrous, but just as humans they tend to prefer either their left or their right paw. Most bolar bears were found to be left-pawed, but I think some might be right-pawed as well.
All the individual animals that have been observed for any tendency to favour one side ,like a paw, have been found to favour one sidedness, just as people favour right or left.
I was reading a pamphlet from the vet clinic today and ironically enough it had the answer to that question. ALL POLAR BEARS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE LEFT HANDED. Although I suppose there is a possibility that scientists could have made a mistake.
Gee, you know for a fact that polar bears are left-handed because you're a "siantist"? I would think that a scientist would know how to spell his profession... It's not rokit sians!
They are left handed... I think that its definetly a remarkable adaptation considering that they are one of th only species on th planet that is almost entirely left handed.... In my eyes that gives them a huge advantage agenst other tipes of bears and all of there unsuspecting victoms.....think about it!
