A polar bear mother cuddles and plays with her only cub. Polar | National Geographic

A polar bear mother cuddles and plays with her only cub. Polar bears usually give birth to two cubs. The mortality rate of cubs during their first year of life is around 50%.

When a mother is left with only one cub, field biologists have found that the mother is much more inclined to interact and play with her sole surviving cub.

Play is an extremely important part of the process of growing up for any cub. It helps the cub to grow stronger, build self-confidence, and learn to socialize.

National Geographic