Polar Bear Facts

Tag: Polar Bear Extinction

  • Conservation Status of Polar Bears

    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

    Main Article: How Many Polar Bears are left in the World?

    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.

    conservation status of polar bears
    Roberto Piccardi — National Geographic Your Shot

    The Scope of the Polar Bear’s Threats

    Read More: What Eats Polar Bears?

    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.

    POLAR BEAR CONSERVATION STATUS
    ©VALERIE CRAIG/National Geographic

    Canada

    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.

    Denmark (Greenland)

    Main Article: Are there Polar Bears in Greenland?

    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.

    Russia

    Read More: Are there Polar Bears in Russia?

    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

  • Why are Polar Bears Going Extinct? – Polar Bear Extinction

    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.

    Human Hunting

    Main Article: Why Do People Hunt Polar Bears?

    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.

    Read More: Are Polar Bears Endangered?

    why are polar bears going extinct?
    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.”

    Why are Polar Bears Going Extinct? – Video

  • Why Do People Hunt Polar Bears?

    Polar bears have long been the victims of human hunting. Humans hunt bears for several purposes such as sports, trading in skin, fur, polar bear trophy, or simply for polar bear food. The international agreement says that only the native people are allowed to hunt polar bears. It’s up to the indigenous people if they want to kill white bears for sports, trophy, food, or for trading.

    Why Do People Hunt Polar Bears in Canada?

    In Canada, the lottery issues legal permits to kill polar bears according to which winners may keep the bear’s meat but must sell the polar bear’s pelt for $10,000. The permits are issued in the western Hudson Bay (Inuit village). Many non-indigenous hunters will also purchase polar bear tags. Every year indigenous hunters kill 50 – 60 polar bears.

    Conservationists on the other hand discourage legal or illegal hunting of polar bears worldwide let alone Canada. They maintain that indigenous hunters are more responsible for the population decline than the climate change.

    Over the past few decades the native hunting has become a serious threat of vulnerable species. The Canadian government is likely to impose permanent ban on polar bear skin trade. Hunters in the Nunavut have agreed to reduce the bear hunting. They will hunt 40 – 45 polar bears each year instead of 60.

    Hunting of Polar Bears in Greenland

    Read More: Polar Bears in Greenland

    In the earlier days there were no restrictions on polar bear hunting whatsoever. In fact the one who kills the bear is often rewarded. If a person came across a bear in East Greenland and North-West he had rights to shot the animal. The practice continued for years and passed to next generations. As it turned out everyone shot bears until in mid-60s when only expert hunters were permitted to kill polar bears.

    Read More: How Many Polar Bears are Left in the World?

    There is an old tradition in Greenland that the first person to sight polar bear is going to take skin and meat (of the bear). It doesn’t matter who kills it, the animal belongs to the first observer. Even today the tradition is alive. In East Greenland, North Greenland, and South Greenland polar bears are hunted nearly every month by indigenous people. In the East and North Greenland professional hunters kill white bears in winter. However in South Greenland, hunters are not professionals they just find one along the way and shot bears on the sea ice.

    why do people hunt polar bears
    Image Courtesy: mashable.com

    Polar Bear Hunting in the United States

    The Marine Mammal Protection Act, 1972 forbade common men to hunt polar bears. Under the Act only native people who live on the coastal homes are allowed to hunt bears. The permission is so granted because natives rely on bear’s meat for consumption. However the Act makes sure that the bear is neither hunted for sports nor does its meat go in vain. Besides, the authorities estimate the optimum level of polar bear population so that the animal does not become endangered.

    Can you Hunt Polar Bears in Alaska?

    Yes and probably no! It is absolutely illegal to shoot polar bears in Alaska. However the Alaskan natives or Eskimos are allowed to hunt. They can kill white bears legally. These natives are called Eskimos. The Eskimos live on the coastal areas of North Pacific Ocean and they harvest bears for surviving. Their life depends on it. Still the Alaskan natives must enroll themselves under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. A person who has not enrolled under the Act cannot hunt bears even if he is an Aleuts.

    The authorities have not imposed any limit on the number of bears to be harvested so long as the harvest doesn’t end up in waste. Eskimos can harvest polar bears any time in a year.

    The Alaskan hunters must also report polar bear’s skull and hides to Fish and Wildlife Service no more than a month after the kill.

    The native people are legally permitted to sell polar bear’s meat in the Alaskan village.

    Polar Bear Hunting in Russia

    Russia is one of few countries where no one is allowed to hunt polar bears—not even aborigines. Nonetheless, the law is likely to be changed in future in order to permit natives to kill bears. Despite the regulation local people have continued hunting ice bears for their sustenance depends on polar bear hunting. The Russian government believes that if hunting were made legal people would kill bears for money.

    Why do people kill polar bears?

    Some people such as professional hunters kill polar bears for sports while others (like aborigines) hunt for survival. In the northwest Greenland, Qaanaaq people kill white bears partly for trading purposes and partly for consumption. The aborigines are thought to sell bear’s skin, skull, hide, and claws in the village market. They will not sell it outside the village market. The native people also eat bear’s meat.

    Do People Eat Polar Bear Meat?

    Yes people do eat polar bear meat. These people are mostly aborigines who live along the coastal habitats. Aborigines often hunt polar bears for multiple purposes including consumption.

    Is it Illegal to Kill Polar Bears?

    No it’s not as long as you’re one of the natives or Eskimos. Eskimos are legally allowed to hunt polar bears but if anyone from outside shoots the bear he/she is deemed to have violated the law.

    How many Polar Bears are Hunted Each Year?

    While it is difficult to estimate the number of polar bears hunted each year, biologists believe that each year people (including natives) kill 60 – 70 polar bears.

    Why Do People Kill Polar Bears? – Video

    YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ MORE?

    • HOW CAN WE SAVE POLAR BEARS?: Something needs to be done on priority basis before it’s too late. It’s a now-or-never situation for all of us…
    • ARE THERE POLAR BEARS IN RUSSIA?: Russia is home to many polar bears and but the exact numbers are not known. According to a rough estimate there are more than 3,000 polar bears living in Chukchi Sea (Russian territory) alone… 
    • 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… 
    • CAUSES OF POLAR BEARS DEATHS: Polar bears find it hard to search for food especially in ice-free summer months. They can live without food for as long as 4 – 5 months…