Today is International Polar Bear Day! The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is one of the largest species of bears, capable of weighing over 1500 pounds and standing over 9 feet tall. Sadly, they are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. While Polar Bear numbers have increased due to proper hunting regulations on the species, other problems are arising.
Polar Bears spend their winter and spring on the ice sheets hunting for seals to eat. They try to eat enough food to build up fat reserves to survive the winter months when they have to move to shore. Due to the rising temperatures of the arctic because of climate change, the sea ice that they hunt on is melting earlier. This causes the Polar Bear to become malnourished or die from starvation. Also, the Polar Bears are forced to swim further distances between each sheet of ice, which burns up fat reserves and causes some Polar Bears to drown. Other threats to them include pollution especially from increased drilling in the arctic.
1 thought on “International Polar Bear Day”