Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land share a common population of 3,000 polar bears.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a bear  native largely within the Arctic circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore  and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous  Kodiak bear, which is approximately the same size.

An adult male weighs around 350–680 kg (770–1,500 lb), while an adult female is about half that size.