How to Tame Polar Bears in Minecraft

Here’s a fun scientific fact: polar bear fur isn’t actually white, but transparent. The individual hairs that make up a polar bear’s coat absorb and scatter light in a particular way that makes them appear white. This is why you can see their skin through their hair if you look closely, like looking through a frosted window. That hair makes them great icefield hunters and is one of many reasons having your own polar bear would be cool.

If you’re interested, here’s how to tame polar bears in Minecraft.

How to Tame Polar Bears in Minecraft

Polar bears can be tamed in Minecraft much in the same way you’d tame a wolf or wild cat. They’re neutral to all other mobs and entities by default (with the lone exception of their mortal enemies, foxes), so all you need to do is feed them a few helpings of their favorite food: raw fish.

You’ll want to journey around a bit with a fishing rod and pick up all of the fish you can find before attempting to tame a polar bear, as the exact amount of fish you’ll have to feed them before they’re tame is randomized. Any fish is fine, though polar bears do have an affinity for salmon that could use to expedite the taming process a bit.

You should also make sure to prepare a nametag and a lead ahead of time. Putting a nametag on a tamed animal ensures it won’t despawn if you venture too far away from it, while a lead ensures they’re always right behind you. That’s especially helpful for polar bears, as you’ll want them defending you close by.

Finding a Polar Bear

Polar bears, as you’d no doubt expect, typically hang out in cold conditions. The best biomes to look for polar bears are the Snowy Plains, the Ice Spikes, and the Frozen Ocean. They’re pretty easy to spot amongst the snow, given their large bodies.

Polar bears often travel in packs, usually alongside their cubs. If you’re going to try and tame a bear, you’d do well to pick one that doesn’t have a cub with it, as going near a polar bear’s cub has a high chance of drawing their hostility.

When you’ve found a good polar bear, equip your raw fish and feed it to them with a right-click. You’ll need to keep feeding the polar bear fish until a little gaggle of hearts pops up over its head. This indicates that the polar bear is officially tamed, so go ahead and attach your nametag and lead to it.

One last thing: polar bears are only good as bodyguards or novelty pets. You can’t breed them, and even if you could, there’s no way to speed up a cub’s growth into an adult. They also don’t drop anything particularly interesting, so there’s no real reason to farm them.