Bears - IUCN

Fig. 1 The Drem-Head mountains, an area of mass denning
of breeding female polar bears.
Yet we sometimes found 2-5 dens together on slopes which in March-April
could hardly be considered as convenient for dens, because snow depth was so
shallow. One den was found in quite a thin pocket of snow (see Fig.4/4). There
were no dens on such thin snow-slopes in 1970. On the other hand, in several
sites where in 1969 there were dens in deep snowbanks, we found denning
female bears in 1970 as well. Finally, on some slopes where in the spring of
1969 dens were absent but the snowbanks were very thick, we found maternity
dens in the following winter.
184
Fig. 2 Positioning of dens in three areas of the mountains.
I indicates the upper edges of slopes and 2 the den
site.