Two images of polar bears: on the left, a mother and two cubs sit in the snow; on the right, a mother bear sits while two cubs climb on her, with snow-covered ground and trees in the background.

Today marks the 21st annual International Polar Bear Day and to mark it, PetaPixel spoke to wildlife photographer Daniel Cox.

Cox has been a visitor to Hudson Bay in Canada for years capturing the mothers and cubs emerging from their dens around this time of year.

“Right now, polar bear moms are snuggled with their newborn cubs across the Arctic, preparing to emerge from their dens and begin raising their young out on the sea ice,” Cox says. “This represents the most vulnerable time of a polar bear’s life, and fewer than half of the cubs reach adulthood, on average.”

Cox’s photos show the adorable cubs jumping on mom and wrestling one another in well-below freezing temperatures.

A polar bear mother lies in the snow while two cubs snuggle close to her, one looking toward the camera, surrounded by a snowy landscape with a small evergreen tree nearby.

A large adult polar bear walks through snowy terrain with a small polar bear cub following closely behind. Sparse trees are in the background under a clear sky.

A polar bear sits on snowy ground, leaning against a small tree, while two cubs nurse from her. Snow covers the surroundings, and the bears' white fur blends with the wintery landscape.

A mother polar bear sits on snowy ground near leafless bushes while her cub nurses, both surrounded by a wintry, snow-covered landscape.

A polar bear with two cubs sits in the snow among sparse, leafless shrubs under a pale sky. The cubs are closely snuggled to the adult.

“I sometimes work with local guides to get close to my subjects, as I did with these photos of the den emergence,” Cox explains.

“My guides originally ran a trap line in the area where many of the Western Hudson Bay polar bear population now den. With their knowledge and decades of experience, they formed Watchee Lodge, and with their help, I was able to capture these photographs.”

Two polar bear cubs playfully interact on snowy ground near evergreen trees, one cub sitting up with its mouth open and the other lying down, reaching a paw toward its sibling.

An adult polar bear lounges on snow while two playful polar bear cubs interact nearby under a clear blue sky. Sparse branches poke through the snow.

A close-up of an outdoor thermometer attached to a wooden post shows a temperature below 0°F or -20°C, with snow-covered ground and trees blurred in the background.

Two polar bears with thick white fur are closely positioned against a snowy, pale background, gazing attentively forward.

A polar bear stands on snowy ground with two small cubs beside her, one nursing and the other looking forward. The background is a flat, icy landscape with a distant treeline under a clear blue sky.

Cox traveled in specialized tracked vehicles, provided by Watchee, so he could move onto the tundra where bears roam. Of the six seasons Cox has spent at Watchee Lodge, he averages one polar bear family per week over the four-week season.

“Sometimes it was more, and other times, less,” Cox says. “The lead tracker, Morris Spence, would leave the lodge in the early morning, setting out to find the tracks of a mother who had left the den with cubs.”

“From dens to the sea ice is typically a 2-3 day affair for a mama polar bear and her babies,” he continues. “With snow machines and tracked vans, we couldn’t get to the sea ice. It was imperative that Morris find a mother just emerging from the den, close to the lodge, or one passing through. So we were relegated to only close encounters.”

A polar bear stands protectively over two small cubs on a snowy, icy landscape. The mother bear looks down at the cubs as they stand close together in the cold Arctic environment.

A polar bear sits upright on snowy ground nursing two cubs, surrounded by sparse leafless branches and a few evergreen trees in the background under a clear sky.

A polar bear rests in the snow with two small cubs snuggled close to her, one nursing while the other looks ahead; sparse branches and snow surround them.

A polar bear sits in the snow with three fluffy cubs close by, nuzzling each other. Sparse branches and a misty, white background create a peaceful, snowy arctic scene.

A polar bear lies in the snow with her cub, both snuggled close together. Sparse branches and snowy ground surround them, with a blurred background of trees.

A polar bear mother lies in the snow, cuddling her cub, both looking at each other affectionately. Small snow-covered bushes are nearby under a clear blue sky.

Cox says Polar Bear Day is important so that people take action to protect polar bear families.

“Let’s face it, anyone I’ve ever met thinks polar bear cubs are the cutest things they’ve ever seen. Polar bear families get people’s attention,” he says.

“For me, they are the hook that makes people care. With all the issues our planet is facing regarding climate change, getting people to care about these amazing animals is a good thing. With polar bears being apex predators at the top of the food chain, if you take care of polar bears, you take care of everything below them. In short, what’s good for polar bears is good for all living creatures on planet earth including human beings. I see it as a win/win.”

To find out more, head to the Polar Bear International website, Facebook and Instagram.