Judge

Nunavut

A male polar bear rests on the Arctic Ocean ice. This bear’s proportions have earned this species’ deserving title, “King of the Arctic”. An average male polar bear is around 1200lbs/550kgs, yet even with that physical size it can reach speeds of a racehorse for short distances. As an apex predator, anything on the ice is considered food. Their preference and diet consists of 99% ringed seal. Dominant bears such as ‘Judge’ would eat only blubber in most cases, leaving the remainder for smaller bears and other species. These bears can eat up to 150lbs/70kgs in one sitting, and need to catch a seal every five to six days to sustain their nutritional needs. During the warm period of the year these bears do not eat, and hence need to bulk up during the cold winter months for their summer “walking hibernation”.

Jason chose to print this 2023 Earth Day print as a black and white image to represent the fact that climate change is a black and white issue. The polar bear represents the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to the issue. The ice-free period in the Arctic is continually lengthening, forcing bears to come off the ice each summer earlier than normal and return onto the ice later each fall. Without the platform of ice, polar bears cannot hunt ringed seal. Scientists predict that if the current trend of global warming continues, the polar bear species will be extinct by 2100.

Limited Edition 8x10 and larger to 900

Conservation Edition 28x67 to 25