They may look cute and playful but these polar bears are the biggest land carnivores in the world and, as the top predator in the Arctic, they have a reputation for actively hunting humans. Pregnant females gave birth in November or December and many will still be buried in their snow dens to escape the worst of the Arctic winter, ready to emerge with their cubs next month with the first hint of the spring thaw. The rest of the estimated 22,000-strong population of polar bears roam in "walking hibernation" in anticipation of the winter's end.

They may look cute and playful but these polar bears are the biggest land carnivores in the world and, as the top predator in the Arctic, they have a reputation for actively hunting humans. Pregnant females gave birth in November or December and many will still be buried in their snow dens to escape the worst of the Arctic winter, ready to emerge with their cubs next month with the first hint of the spring thaw. The rest of the estimated 22,000-strong population of polar bears roam in "walking hibernation" in anticipation of the winter's end.

"Everybody talks about the weather," Mark Twain is supposed to have said, "But nobody ever does anything about it." Never mind the dry Midwestern humour; looking at the astonishing mix of meteorological events currently taking place around the globe, we can see that the author of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn was actually right on both counts: extreme occurrences of hot and cold, of wet and dry, of wind and stillness, seize our imagination even while we are helpless before them.

"Everybody talks about the weather," Mark Twain is supposed to have said, "But nobody ever does anything about it." Never mind the dry Midwestern humour; looking at the astonishing mix of meteorological events currently taking place around the globe, we can see that the author of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn was actually right on both counts: extreme occurrences of hot and cold, of wet and dry, of wind and stillness, seize our imagination even while we are helpless before them.

"Everybody talks about the weather," Mark Twain is supposed to have said, "But nobody ever does anything about it." Never mind the dry Midwestern humour; looking at the astonishing mix of meteorological events currently taking place around the globe, we can see that the author of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer and Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn was actually right on both counts: extreme occurrences of hot and cold, of wet and dry, of wind and stillness, seize our imagination even while we are helpless before them.

Played with by Humphrey Bogart, cuddled by Elizabeth Taylor and walked by Alfred Hitchcock in one of his own films, they were once more or less members of the Royal Family and among the most popular dogs on the planet.

Played with by Humphrey Bogart, cuddled by Elizabeth Taylor and walked by Alfred Hitchcock in one of his own films, they were once more or less members of the Royal Family and among the most popular dogs on the planet.