Some of the most innocent-looking species in the wild may be the most le.th.al, and animals are sometimes groomed to be predators from birth. Polar bears are an excellent example of a surprisingly l.et.ha.l predator, and despite their adorable and fluffy appearance, they are the biggest carnivore on Earth.
Polar bears hunt seals because they dwell in the Arctic, and they use sea ice as a platform to do so. It takes time and patience since seals only come up for air every thirty minutes. Polar bears are trained from birth how to catch their prey so that they can live as adults. However, this is not always a fun job, and young polar bears must learn patience over time.
The BBC caught the moment a mother polar bear attempted to teach her two cubs how to grab a seal – but they weren’t prepared for a delightfully charming surprise. The BBC submitted the video, headlined “Polar bear baby gets shocked by a seal,” to YouTube, where it has received 9.5 million views.
At the start of the film, the mom bear and her cubs wait for a seal to emerge through a hole in the ice. The mom knows they’ll be here soon since they poke their heads up every thirty minutes or so. She sits and waits patiently, but her cubs become bored quickly. The female cub snuggles up near her mother and looks to be dozing off.
Meanwhile, the male cub wishes to amuse himself. The cute little child goes about happily holding a snowball he formed himself, seemingly indifferent to the idea of catching food. The mischievous young cub’s activities lead him away from the burrow where his mother and sibling are waiting and closer to one another. Something completely unexpected happens while he sits and plays with his snowball.
Instead of emerging from the hole where the others are waiting, the seal appears directly in front of the cub, surprising him! The small cub, caught by surprise, falls over onto his back, while the seal merely stares at him. It’s safe to say that this youngster hasn’t yet mastered the art of catching his prey.
This has to be one of the cutest things we’ve ever seen, and we’re secretly relieved that this seal wasn’t eaten by a polar bear. People expressed their appreciation for the video in the comments, with one person writing:
“I enjoy how when the seal discovers it’s a baby, it just sits there and looks for a minute.” He would not have done it if it had been Mama.”
Another was added:
“I, too, would be shocked if meals appeared from the floor in front of me.”
