Scientists Know How Polar Bears' Fur Repels Snow and Ice

There's something about polar bears that's always puzzled the people who study them. How do they seem to repel snow? The animals spend their lives in cold climate, sometimes rolling around in snow, but walking away without any of it clinging to their fur. After researching, scientists found that a polar bear's hair is coated in a natural grease containing cholesterol and fatty acids, which repels ice and snow from sticking to them. If they get weighed down with a lot of snow or ice, that could be the difference between them catching a seal or not, or being stuck to the ice. Now, what to do with this information? Well, it could lead the way for products to help industries that operate in the cold weather. De-icing is always a challenge, but maybe this humble bear will make the process a little easier. For Inside Edition Digital, I'm Mara Montalbano.