Polar Bear Facts

Tag: Polar Bear Climate Change

  • International Polar Bear Day 2024 – In the Name of a Polar Bear

    International Polar Bear Day 2024 – In the Name of a Polar Bear

    What is International Polar Bear Day?

    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.

    Read More: How Can We Save Polar Bears?

    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.”

    International Polar Bear Day – Video

  • How Polar Bears are affected by Global Warming?

    Polar bears are one of the few Arctic animals that rely on sea ice for their prey. As the Arctic sea ice melts the bear becomes redundant. This is probably the biggest threat to polar bears as it seems more likely than before that they are going to be extinct no later than 2060. The bizarre response of some of the countries regarding climate change is worsening polar bear’s prospects each passing day. The global warming is one of the vital reasons as to why the polar bear is in danger of extinction.

    Polar bears are not endangered they are threatened. Scientists hope that if we manage to stop the rate at which earth’s surface is warming we can surely restore the bear’s population as it was 100 years ago. If the ice stops melting the bear can hunt, eat, sleep (in dens) and find mate to reproduce. This will probably increase the chances of polar bear’s survival in the Arctic.

    While they are excellent swimmers bears can’t navigate the entire arctic in swimming. They must search for the sea ice or they die either of starvation or drowned.

    The climate change hit white bears the hardest as their only habitat is going to be vanished soon. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “the single most important achievement for polar bear conservation is decisive action to address Arctic warming”.

    How Polar Bears are affected by Global Warming?

    Polar bears hunt seals on the sea ice. If there’s no ice there is no hunt. It is that simple. Rapid climate change causes the global average temperature to rise and as it turns out the Arctic ice declines ever than before. The report of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the air temperature at high altitude increases twice as fast as the temperature at the lower altitude. This is a major concern for us all. Let’s see in what ways polar bears are affected by climate change.

    Longer Summer shorter Winter

    The climate change has caused long summers and short winter. The rise in temperature has also led to incomplete refreeze in winter. Now polar bears must prey and learn how to survive on land. Furthermore they are going to spend more months in starvation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) insists that the ice-free periods are going to spread the hunger among white bears. Furthermore they said that the climate change is pushing polar bears over a tipping point.

    The single most important achievement for polar bear conservation is decisive action to address Arctic warming.

    Since the year 1979 the arctic sea ice diminishes at a rate of 14% each year. The fourth lowest ice recorded in the year 2016.

    how polar bears are affected by global warming
    ©Science Illustrated

    Swim, Swim and…Swim!

    As the global climate gets warmer the Arctic glaciers and icebergs transform into water. Polar bears must swim greater distances in search of prey. While they are excellent swimmers bears can’t navigate the entire arctic in swimming. They must search for the sea ice or they die either of starvation or drowned. The more distance they cover in swimming the more fats they consume. Consequently bears let alone female bears lose weight and find it difficult to feed cubs.

    Habitat loss and Migration

    Over the past few decades polar bears have been forced to leave their original icy habitat. None of them ever live in Antarctica but scientists have spotted few individuals moving in Antarctica. This shows a significant change in polar bear’s behavior. Scientists maintain that climate change is probably the major cause of polar bear’s migration.

    Forced Creativity

    The arctic ice disappears and the prey becomes scarce. Polar bears must devise new hunting methods and food source on which they can survive. They are not adapted to warmer climate but they need to for it’ll become an inescapable necessity in the years to come. They must also learn to eat human rubbish, small animals and whale carcass which were never the part of polar bear’s diet.

    Is it a Myth?

    Few people believe that the endangerment of polar bears is highly exaggerated. They see an increase in population since 1960s when there was no legal restriction on hunting. However the truth is that the entire population is classified into 19 subpopulations many of which are thought to be declining. The population of Kane Basin and Baffin Bay are declining rapidly. Biologists fear that 80% of the current population soon fades away if the rate of global warming continues in a way it is.

    Good News!

    The southern Beaufort Sea population is known to be stabilized which is pretty good news. The numbers saw a rapid decline since the beginning of the 20th century. As of now the population is stable at 900.