Would it be more correct to call a polar bear a "preyer" , a "predator", or a "hunter"?

Question

My little son is due to make a small brochure about the polar bear according to his kindergarten teacher's arrangement.

He intends to name the brochure "Polar Bear: the Hunters on Ice".

I, however, think it somewhat inaccurate to call a polar bear a "hunter". The predatory ways of the ursus species are different from those of top feline animals such as tigers and lions which are more usually called "hunters".

I am unsure as to what the most correct way to refer to polar bears might be. "Preyers on ice"? "Arctic predators"? Is there something more appropriate to call them?

Answer 1

In this context, I can't think of any reason why I'd prefer hunter over predator, or vice-versa. Stay away from preyer, though. That's a rarely-seen word that sounds rather awkward, I think.

If the words were being applied to people instead of animals, however, there is a huge difference in meaning. If I heard someone say, "My neighbor is a hunter," I would assume that the neighbor hunts animals during hunting season (in the U.S., that would most likely be deer, but it could also be ducks, pheasants, or other wildlife). However, if someone said, "My neighbor is a predator," I would assume that person engages in some kind of unscrupulous behavior. One dictionary defines predator as: One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain.

Rest assured, though, in the context of polar bears on ice (or leopards on the savannah), there is no reason to fear such a misinterpretation. When describing animals, I think predator and hunter are largely synonymous and interchangeable.