The International Polar Bear Day is also called the National Polar Bear Day. The day is celebrated each year in February. The sole purpose of celebrating the polar bear day is to spread the word for Arctic bear one that is likely to become endangered in the years to come should the climate continues to change at a current pace. On this day, you can probably help these Arctic predators by rising awareness on a social media, electronic media, or even giving donations to the polar bears international organization. On this day, you’ve got to think differently in that how you can practically step up and tell polar bears that yes, we do care for you!
International Polar Bear Day 2024 – National Polar Bear Day
When is Polar Bear Day?
The Polar Bear Day is going to be held on Wednesday February 27, 2024. The Day is annually organized by the Polar Bears International. The Day says that you must reduce your carbon emissions and lower your thermostat level at least on February 27. On this day, many zoos will advertise and encourage visitors to show their support for polar bears in the best possible way. The Polar Bear Day has also gained popularity in the political arena. In 2014, Barack Obama, the U.S. president had insisted on the Polar Bear Day to take immediate action in respect of the climate change.
Things to Remember on an International Polar Bear Day
It’ll be the day that is going to remind you how we as humans are threatening the very existence of remarkable creatures such as this.
It’ll be the day that tells us how selfish we humans have turned out to be. We talk about the worlds most endangered species yet we couldn’t manage to cut down the emission level of carbon.
It’ll be the day that reminds us how we humans and animals are connected globally. Our activities thousands of miles away can affect their lives and it’s not the other way round.
It’ll be the day that tells us why the world behaves the way it does about certain things.
It’ll be the day that reminds us that our words aren’t enough to protect these species—every individual no matter how far he lives ought to do something on its own that adds real value to his efforts. To put it in the words of Amstup, a leading polar bear researcher, “If you think there is nothing you can do, then you will do nothing,” he said. “So start doing something. Make a personal commitment and share what you are doing with your colleagues, your church, your synagogue and your other social networks.”
Polar bear (Ursus mritimus) is a threatened species and in the next few decades it is likely to be enlisted on the endangered species of the IUCN. This is what scientists predict about ice bears’ future who once thought to rule the arctic habitat in thousands or even millions. The prime responsibility lies on the humans for several arctic mammals let alone polar bears have suffered badly in the last couple of centuries. Each year 50 – 60 polar bears are hunted—not only for their hides and fur but also the fact that local people’s survival is associated with the polar bear’s death. They consume bear’s meat and sell into the village market. Let’s see how can we help save polar bears from dying out.
How Can We Save Polar Bears From Extinction?
Something needs to be done on priority basis before it’s too late. It’s a now-or-never situation for all of us and it can go worse if the global climate continues to threaten the polar bear’s habitat. There are so many things that we can do to prevent polar bears becoming another endangered species.
However insignificant it might appear the truth is that every single human hand can actually save polar bears and it doesn’t matter if your habitat is miles away from polar bear’s habitat. The latter is going to benefit from your contribution.
While it may seem unlikely that polar bears are going to be extinct in the next 5 or 10 years the overall population decline, global warming, and hunting on a massive scale are already showing signs of endangerment.
Using Zero Carbon Technology
The best possible measure to counter global warming or climate change is that we better start using zero carbon technology in vehicles. This can reduce the earth’s global temperature as well as diminishing the likelihood of greenhouse gases that may destroy ozone layer in the atmosphere. A decrease in global temperature leads to a decrease in pace at which the arctic’s sea ice is melting. As it turns out the polar bear’s habitat remains safe.
Not only authorities but it is also the responsibility of common people to make environment green by planting more and more trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide CO2 which is the chief agent (gas) for increasing global warming. Aforestations thus reduce the concentration of man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The greener is the environment the safer is the polar bear’s habitat.
Stop Hunting
Goes without saying that human hunting must be stopped immediately in order to keep polar bears safe. Ice bears are probably one of the most hunted arctic mammals in Canada and Greenland. Authorities have allowed natives to hunt polar bears but only to a certain extent—to a point where the bear’s population doesn’t become redundant.
Nevertheless, there is always a chance that other people such as professional hunters may exploit this permission. One must adopt stringent policies in countries (such as Russia, Canada, and Greenland) where people are permitted to hunt polar bears legally.
Speak up for Wildlife and spread the word for Awareness
One needs to stand up and speak for the wildlife. In many third world countries the wildlife awareness is below par as people do not know what animals are endangered in their own country. Therefore if programs including seminars on saving wildlife species are conducted on yearly basis people might consider doing something worth—while they can. (See also: International Polar Bear Day 2018)
Why Do We Need to Save the Polar Bears?
The arctic ecosystem is going to be disturbed if we lose a single species let alone polar bears. It can have adverse effects on other species including those that regularly fall prey to the ice bears.
What would Happen if there were no Polar Bears?
The seals are the primary prey for all polar bears. Scientists estimate that the entire polar bear population eats as much as one million seals a year. That’s too much! Now think of a second should polar bears disappear today the seal’s population would grow to unmanageable proportions. The seals have already very few predators in the arctic. However it doesn’t end here. The overpopulation of seals means that they will require more salmons than before. The salmon population is going to be redundant.
The polar bear’s official status is Vulnerable as listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Some of the population sizes are threatened while most of them are thought to be relatively stable. Vulnerable species are those that are most likely to become endangered if the conservation efforts are not improved. There are eight significant factors which are considered in order to assess the conservation status of any species let alone polar bear.
Conservation status of Polar Bears
The overall population size of a polar bear is estimated at 25,000 – 31,000 but still many bears are thought to be uncounted. Biologists believe that worldwide figures do not reflect on the Russian polar bears population. That is to say that current numbers are highly understated.
The Condition of Occurrences or the Total Number such as Populations
The polar bear habitat mainly consists of sea ice combined with the icy water where seals are abundant. The occurrences of sea ice primarily determine the status of polar bears. The higher is the density of ice floes the greater is the probability of polar bear survival in the arctic. Currently the climate change likely influence the arctic sea ice.
The Short-term as well as Long-term Trends of the Polar Bear Populations
Studies reveal that polar bears do not appear to face short-term threats to their survival however long-term trends are not really favorable for the bear. Scientists maintain that ice bears may very well face extinction in the next 50 years or so but the argument is still debatable.
The Extend of Area Occupied by Bears
The home range of polar bears is extremely wide that even biologists could not count the number of individuals occur in a specific area. As far as the area is concerned polar bears do not seem to be threatened. Over the past 40 years the range is increased rather than limited by the animal’s presence.
Polar bears likely face threats not only from the professional hunters who kill 50 – 60 polar bears each year but also from the global climate change. Unquestionably the global temperature might change the scope of polar bear’s threats in a negative fashion.
The Environmental Specificity
Arctic is unsuitable habitat for humans to live on. That is why except for few remote areas there appears to be minimum human presence around the polar bear’s habitat. The environmental conditions favor the bear rather than her predator.
Total number of protected occurrences
The conservation societies must step forward to protect the natural habitats of polar bears which can be threatened by the climate change. At the moment the protected occurrences is almost nil which is a bad news for the polar bear status in future.
The intrinsic vulnerability of a polar bear
Some of the intrinsic factors also play a part in defining the status of a polar bear.
United States (Alaska)
Although the United States is the first country to have protected polar bears under the Marine Mammals Act the Oil and Gas development activities are highest at the North Slope in the Beaufort Sea. The operations have been largely expanded since its first installment in 1970s. Other projects such as roads, pipelines, and power lines are adversely affect the status of Alaskan polar bears.
Canadian authorities installed 85 oil explorations facilities in the Beaufort Sea that fell inside the Canadian territory. Making things worse the government is issuing permits to promote petroleum explorations. All these activities are carried out within the polar bear’s habitat—destroying it absolutely.
Norway
The Barents Sea inside the Norwegian territory thought to be relatively safer until in 1997 when government began issuing licenses for oil and gas explorations in the polar bear’s habitats. The southern Barents Sea is already showing terrible effects as a consequence of petroleum operations that continue all throughout the year. Scientists must insist on protecting the bear’s habitat from each human activity—hunting as well as development.
Similarly the Danish governments in cooperation with the Greenland government are trying to promote oil and gas explorations 200 kilometers northwest of Nuuk, Greenland. The western coast is not safe either as Ikermiut Ridge, Lady Franklin Basin, Kangaamiut Basin, and Paamiut Basin in the Labrador Sea have been opened for oil explorations. The developments in the Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are thought to leave polar bear’s habitat vulnerable ever than before.
In the Russian Barents Sea the government is planning to initiate industrial oil productions on the southeastern tip of the Sea. Besides she has already issued license to the privately-owned company to build oil-gas pipeline which might have been operationalized. All these developments have terrible effects on the geographic location of a polar bear in that the bear is forced to leave her natural habitat. The natural occurrences of the bear’s habitat is disturbed.
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HOW CAN WE SAVE POLAR BEARS?: However insignificant it might appear the truth is that every single human hand can actually save polar bears and it doesn’t matter if your habitat is miles away from polar bear’s habitat.
POLAR BEAR BEHAVIOR: The nomadic polar bear doesn’t seem to rely on one hunting technique. She uses unique strategies which take months
Polar bears are likely to go extinct before the end of the 21st century. This is what biologists and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature says about the iconic creatures of the Arctic. Well we might be telling stories of polar bears to our children if the climate continues to change at the present rate. Do you want to know why are polar bears going extinct in the next 50 years or so? If so, then you’d love these polar bear extinction facts.
Why are Polar Bears Going Extinct?
The climate change has devastating effects on the existence of polar bears. Over the past few decades the rise in temperature threatens the very existence of natural Arctic habitat. Sea ice disappears in warmer months and in winter the ice could not refreeze in a way it used to be. Summers are longer than winter. Polar bears are specialized hunters. They rely heavily on ringed seals for the consumption. Bears hunt seals on the sea ice and if more and more ice transforms into water the bear’s hunting platform disappears. As it turns out less than two percent of the hunts end up successful.
Scientists estimate 20,000 polar bears living today and each year they kill one million ringed seals. Were they all disappear by the next say 50 years the population of ringed seals is going to cross the optimum level.
Human Impact
While humans do not live in the Arctic except in small isolated population they do disturb the bear’s territory and range. Over the past few years white bears are beginning to feed on humans waste when the prey goes short. The unusual food source causes major trouble to bear’s metabolism. It may very well affect the polar bear’s lifespan in the long run.
Except for indigenous people, professional hunters are not allowed to hunt polar bears. In Canada these hunters kill polar bears for sports. Visitors sometimes set up a camp in bear’s territory and soon after killing the animal they make photographs with the dead polar bear. This is awful because local people shoot bears on purpose while professional hunters do this for adventure.
A sad sight of a starving polar bear. Why are polar bears going extinct? Photo by Pulse.ng
What if Polar Bears go Extinct?
Disturbs Ecosystem
White bears are apex predators throughout the Arctic Circle which means they don’t have any predator. They sit at the top of food chain. Polar bear’s extinction according to conservationists could create an imbalance in the Arctic’s ecosystem.
For instance if the bears become extinct the population of ringed seals (the primary prey) could grow to an unmanageable proportion.
Scientists estimate 20,000 polar bears living today and each year they kill one million ringed seals. Were they all disappear by the next say 50 years the population of ringed seals is going to cross the optimum level. As it turns out the population explosion disturbs the entire Arctic ecosystem.
Loss of Local Communities
The extinction of arctic bears is thought to disturb the indigenous people who rely heavily on polar bear’s fur, skin, and meat for daily consumption. Therefore the survival of polar bears is associated with the survival of indigenous communities.
If polar bears die local people die. In some of the native tribes the loss of a polar bear is not merely a loss of species in fact it is a bigger cultural demise. They speak high of bears so much so that they don’t even call them polar bears.
In the words of Bjarne Lyberth, a biologist for Kalaallit Nunaanni Aalisartut Piniartullu Kattuffiat (KNAPK) “In living memory, my people have never experienced the extinction of any animals in Greenland, so losing the polar bear would be very sad.”
The polar bear population is divided into 19 discrete subpopulations. The global population is poorly studied partly because polar bears have a territory too wide to cover. White bears are not territorial which is why they are present in isolated population in some remote areas. The question as to how many polar bears are left in the world is still unanswered. However global estimates of a population suggest that there are around 22,000 to 31,000 polar bears remaining in the natural habitat.
How Many Polar Bears are Left in the World?
The North American population is divided into 13 subpopulations. They live in the Beaufort Sea, Hudson Bay, Western Greenland, and Baffin Bay. The polar bear population in the North America represents 54% of the global population worldwide.
Arctic bears have circumpolar distribution—living in far off habitats with small populations of about 150 to 200 individuals.
The sea-ice keeps moving all year round and so as polar bears. The seasonal variation in weather forces bears to adopt a non-territorial behavior. As it turns out, white bears have circumpolar distribution—living in far off habitats with small populations of about 150 to 200 individuals. Another reason for such a vast territory is that adult males must go and find their reproductive partner each year. If they stay in a limited range they won’t be able to reproduce.
While polar bears are classified as threatened species in much of its range the average total population is 20,000 to 25,000 with some believe that numbers may rise up to 31,000 worldwide. The absolute status is not known since bears are unevenly distributed in the Arctic Circle.
The Chukchi Sea population is estimated to show a declining trend because many polar bears were subject to overharvest in the last 20 years. It’s not possible to assess the population status of six populations (out of 19).
East Greenland Population
In the East Greenland (EG) polar bears are found in the Greenland Sea including Fram Strait. Studies however suggest that the population size increases and decreases (each year) in the East Greenland. The bears in Greenland are less likely to migrate to the eastern Svalbard.
According to the 2003 estimate, there are around 2,000 polar bears living in the southwestern and eastern Greenland but biologists have observed 70 bears to take the population statistics.
Barents Sea population
In 2004 the estimated population of bears was around 3,000 which were way too high as compared to the previous ten years. Study suggests that the increase in population size in Barents Sea was mainly due to the ban on hunting in 1973. Furthermore bears in the Svalbard are less likely to migrate whereas those living in the Barents Sea are known to move between Franz Joseph Land and Svalbard.
In 2004 the estimated population of bears was around 3,000 which were way too high as compared to the previous ten years. Study suggests that the increase in population size in Barents Sea was mainly due to the ban on hunting in 1973.
Some of the adults in the Kara Sea are thought to overlap with the population size of Barents Sea. Nonetheless, the population of Barents Sea and East Greenland rarely interact with each other. The overall polar bear population has increased because of an absolute ban on hunting in Russia in 1956 and in Norway in 1973.
Scientists are not able to estimate the population size in the Kara Sea in fact they are quite concerned with the environmental pollution of the Arctic in the Kara Sea. Recent studies indicate that the Kara Sea population is more susceptible to pollution than any other population in the Arctic.
Image Courtesy: THE POLAR BEAR PROGRAMME
Laptev Sea population
In the Laptev Sea polar bears are spread along the western tip of the East Siberian Sea occupying much of the Laptev Sea as well as Severnaya Zemlya islands and Novosibirsk islands. There are around 800 to 1,200 polar bears living in the Laptev Sea. The population mainly consists of adult female bears because they often visit Novosibirsk islands for denning.
Chukchi Sea population
The population size in the Chukchi Sea is known to bears of the northern Bering to as far east as East Siberian Seas. On the western side bears breed along the northeastern Russia in the Chaunskaya Bay. The eastern population is found in Alaska.
The population status in the Chukchi Sea is either not stable or declining. The harvesting of bears was banned in 1972. The harvesting was reduced to one half in the 90s in Alaska. The bears are partly affected by the climate change and partly by the industrial development.
Southern Beaufort Sea population
The southern Beaufort Sea is a range that touches Alaska and a significant portion of Canada. There is an isolated population of polar bears living in the western Alaska and eastern Canada. The unreliable estimate of population in the Southern Beaufort Sea is 1,800. Latest reliable estimates are likely to surface in the coming years.
Studies show that 1,500 – 1,800 polar bears are surviving in the Icy Cape and Pearce Point. Still scientists believe that the current size might be smaller than these estimates. Prey is not easily available in the Beaufort Sea which might lead to cannibalism in polar bears. Thus the population size decreases with the behavioral shifts.
Viscount Melville Sound population
The Viscount Melville Sound is regarded as the arm of the Arctic as it joins several islands ranging from Victoria Island through Barrow Strait all the way to the Beaufort Sea. The present population estimate in the Viscount Melville Sound is 200 to 215 many of which are adult females.
Image Courtesy: THE POLAR BEAR PROGRAMME
Norwegian Bay population
The Norwegian Bay lies in the Canadian region of the Arctic Ocean. Observation suggests that polar bears live along the coastal ridges and tide cracks. Unfortunately bears in the Norwegian Bay are less likely to prey on ringed seals because the sea-ice is too thick to penetrate. As a result polar bears occur in fewer numbers.
M’Clintock Channel population
The M’Clintock Channel is the arm of the Arctic Ocean in Canada (Nunavut). The channel was previously home to 900 – 1,000 polar bears in the mid-1970s however the current estimate decreased to 700 individuals.
Gulf of Boothia population
The population size in the Gulf of Boothia was around 333 back in 1970s. The numbers have significantly increased since the last counting. The current estimate is nearly three times the size of population in 70s. Studies show that there are around 900 – 1,523 polar bears living in the Gulf of Boothia.
Foxe Basin population
The Foxe Basin population of polar bears lies in the western Hudson Strait and northern Hudson Bay. Bears occur in high densities in the Southampton Island as well as on the Wager Bay during the warmer months. The population estimated in 1996 according to which around 2,119 individuals remaining on the islands. This showed a decrease in size from the mid-70s population. In the early 1970s polar bears’ population were 3,000 but 20 years later 900 polar bears were dead—showing 30% decline. The latest estimates in 2004 showed a marked increase with 2,300 bears inhabiting the Foxe Basin.
Western Hudson Bay population
The population size in the Hudson Bay population has long been recognized by the researchers. It is one of the best understood population area of polar bears. Biologists have been able to study more than 80% of adult bears in the western Hudson Bay.
During warmer months the western population appears to live apart from the southern Hudson Bay population. In winter, however the northern, southern, and western Hudson Bay population seems to concentrate on the ice packs. As a result it becomes difficult to isolate one population from other because all of them are so mixed that they seem like population size.
In 1987 the polar bear population were 1,194 but in the next 17 years the numbers declined by 22%. The estimates in 2004 showed that only 935 remaining in the western Hudson Bay. The population consists of adult females 65% and adult males 35%.
Southern Hudson Bay population
The last estimate of the size of population indicates that there are 900 – 1,000 polar bears inhabiting the southern Hudson Bay. Scientists aren’t sure but they believe that there might be a slight increase in population as compared to previous years.
Kane Basin population
The Kane Basin is a waterway and it is located between Ellesmere Islands (Canada) and Greenland. The 180-km-long Arctic waterway is home to only a few polar bears. The estimates of a population in 1994 – 1997 showed that there were fewer than 164 adult bears surviving. The current estimate might be much less than these figures. The Greenland hunters are likely to be reasons of population decline. In Kane Basin 10 polar bears are killed on an average each year.
Baffin Bay population
The previous estimates of the bear’s population in mid-80s were 300 – 600 individuals. Recent estimates are probably not reliable because scientists have observed that most polar bears move towards the offshore (in March and April) during spring—making it hard to count. Nonetheless, the later work which was carried in September showed the current size of about 2,074 polar bears.
Davis Strait population
The polar bears inhabiting Davis Strait are widely distributed on the eastern Hudson Strait, Labrador Sea, southern Baffin Bay, as well as on the pack ice of the Cape Dyer. The correct estimates were provided by the Canadian Polar Bear Technical Committee in 1993. The Committee suggested the estimate size of about 1,400 polar bears. The figures showed an increase because the survey also included bears that were living offshore pack ice. However the population estimates taken in 2004 counted 1,650 bears in the Davis Strait.
How Many Polar Bears are Left in the World – Video
The wild polar bear (Ursus maritimus) lives up to 20 years but the maximum lifespan rarely goes beyond 25 years. In this article we’re going to study what is the life expectancy of a polar bear. One of the wild specimens died at 32 years age which is so far the oldest on record. In captivity a female polar bear lived as long as 43 years. She died in 1991. Unluckily scientists have not been able to understand the real causes of polar bear’s mortality in the arctic habitat. This is because the carcasses of dead bears are hard to find in the frosty habitat. Let’s see how old do polar bears live in the arctic as well as in captivity.
How Long Do Polar Bears Live?
Biologists have reason to believe that polar bears have low lifespans in the wild habitat mainly because they find it hard to hunt seals as they eventually grow older. Besides, starving with age is a tough ask. On an average arctic polar bears live for 18 – 20 years. Only a handful number of bears are perhaps lucky enough to celebrate their silver jubilee.
Polar bear Lifespan in Captivity
Captive bears live longer lives because they are fed properly and on timely basis and they are given ideal environment. They do not hunt animals for they don’t need to. All these contribute to the longer lifespan of polar bears in captivity.
A mother polar bear guards her cub in the first two years. How long do polar bears live? Photo by FloridaStock/Shutterstock
How Old can Polar Bears Live up to?
Under the ideal conditions such as those provided in captivity polar bears live around 32 – 35 years with one captive specimen reaching 43 years age. However in the arctic they can hardly survive beyond 25 years due to difficulty in hunting at an old age. Males are thought to have lesser annual survival rate as compared to females within wild populations. This is probably because male polar bears get into conflict on females and their fight often leads to fatal injuries.
Probable Causes of Polar Bears’ Deaths in the Wild
Over time polar bears begin to lose strength and possibly desire to hunt seals. They will now rely on easy meal such as those that can be found without hunting i.e. carcasses. However in the frigid arctic habitat the carcasses are hard (even harder) to find. Many adult polar bears are thought to survive on dead carcasses and sometimes bird (geese) eggs. These food sources do not provide sufficient nutrition value to polar bears since they rely almost exclusively on fats. Thus the scarcity of food and a lack of will power in polar bears become the significant causes of their deaths.
Polar bears do not seem to have any natural predator in the arctic. However adult bears do sometimes fight each other just to win over a female during breeding season. The polar bear’s fight leads to serious bruises which are likely the causes of her death. The injured bear however powerful she may be is less likely to hunt. Besides fighting, adult polar bears also kill cubs to mostly to bring females into estrus and rarely to eat them as a potential food source. The interspecific conflicts also appear to become greater when the food is scarce. All these causes lead to the shorter lifespans of a polar bear in the wild habitat.
How Long Do Polar Bears Live? – Polar Bear Lifespan – Video
Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. They never had. Polar bears live in the Arctic which occurs at the northernmost part of the planet. Antarctica on the other hand lies at the south pole of the Earth. Arctic and Antarctica shares many geographical features. Both regions are the coolest places on earth. But they are opposite to each other. Still many people wonder do polar bears live in Antarctica.
The temperature can drop down to minus 50 degree Celsius in Arctic as well as in Antarctic. One is the frozen desert while other becomes the frozen ocean in winter. More than a century ago scientists possibly tried to introduce polar bears in Antarctica but they couldn’t. As of now the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) discourages any such attempt because it would eventually disturb the ecosystem of arctic and Antarctica. Now let us study why do polar bears not live in Antarctica.
Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica? – Are there Polar Bears In Antarctica?
They would never live in Antarctica precisely because the evolution of polar bears likely occurred in the northwestern Europe much less Scandinavia. During the late Weichselian and early Holocene period about 10,000 – 15,000 years ago polar bears had begun occupying the lands of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. If they had colonized the southernmost regions they would have occurred in Antarctica beyond doubt.
So, here is the question: Why can’t polar bears live in Antarctica? Polar bears’ absence in Antarctica is not due to their inability to survive the extreme weather. They can and they do go by many days when the temperature falls below 30 degree Celsius. Besides, the polar bear’s dense fur always keeps the animal warm no matter how cold the weather turns out to be. The marine life and the sea ice characteristics in both Arctic and Antarctic are almost similar.
A mother polar bear actively defends her cubs even from a large dominant male polar bear. Polar bears are only found in the Arctic Circle. Do polar bears live in Antarctica? Photo by National Geographic.
Should polar bears live in Antarctica they would have thrived in the same way as they do in the arctic. They would have loved to consume Antarctic fur seals which are fairly abundant. Also, penguins are the permanent residents of the Antarctic; they are the easiest of all marine prey.
Polar bears are not choosy hunters—they are opportunistic predators. It is just that their evolution occurs at far north—opposite end of the pole. One cannot assume that polar bears would migrate all the way to the south just to have the same kind of habitat and prey. Polar bears are bears not arctic terns that they would fly thousands of miles in a year.
Furthermore, during the Holocene periods when polar bears evolved the land between north and the south were not fully covered with sea ice. Therefore the question of connecting southern with northern hemispheres does not arise since polar bears prefer to walk on sea ice.
Arctic is home to millions of seals which is the primary diet of polar bears. About 80% of polar bear’s diet consists of ringed and bearded seals. Bears kill seals because they need blubber in order to pass months in starvation. Antarctic also provides the similar nutritious food sources however in the early 19th and 20th centuries humans have hunted Antarctic fur seals so heavily that seals are becoming redundant in their own habitat.
The quantity of food could have a negative impact on the lifespan of polar bears should they live in Antarctica. Else, both Arctic and Antarctic are appropriate habitats for polar bears.
No, polar bears are not endangered they are listed as Vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. However it is more likely than not to occur that white bears fall into the category of endangerment. Scientists claim that polar bears face high risk of endangerment in the next 20 years or so possibly due to rapid climate change, human hunting, and scarcity of food. On the contrary recent findings show that the overall global population of polar bears has been stable. It clearly suggests the divided opinion of scientists on polar bear status.
Are Polar Bears Endangered?
Endangered species are those species that are likely to become extinct in the next few decades if the appropriate conservation efforts are not made. The status is defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Endangered species are listed on the Red List of IUCN.
Why are Polar Bears not Endangered?
Studies show that there is a slightest chance of polar bears getting extinct—not at least in the next 20 years. Thus they are not endangered. While many factors such as excessive hunting, harvesting, and climate change contribute towards polar bears future endangerment still the overall population is more than 20,000. The maximum population size is 25,000 which can qualify polar bears as vulnerable species but certainly not endangered animals.
Why are Polar Bears going to be Endangered in 2030?
Factors such as these are likely to change the polar bear’s conservation status in near future. We can probably imagine that polar bear may face rapid decline in her population given the climate continues to change; the habitat continues to be threatened, and the indigenous people continue to hunt polar bears.
The overall warming of the earth’s surface temperature has caused the Arctic sea ice to melt. As it turns out summers are longer than winter and bears are forced to stay on land more than ever. Unlike before, polar bears must learn to hunt land mammals which might be a tough ask since polar bears are marine mammals. They are adept to spend so much time in water; playing and hunting seals. Currently the survival on land is turning into a major challenge. If the global warming goes on with time then it can pose serious threats to the polar bear’s existence.
Indigenous People Hunting
The native people in Canada and Greenland are allowed to hunt polar bears because their living depends on it. They eat meat and they sell polar bear’s skin and coat in the village market. However villagers are not permitted to deal commercially outside the village. The legal hunting by the locals is going to hit the polar bears’ population in the years to come.
