ENDANGERED POLAR BEARS

The Polar Bear is the world’s largest of terrestrial carnivores and are known as the King of the great north. Sadly, Polar Bears are on the endangered species list. There are so many reasons why the Polar Bear’s future is so uncertain but they all stem from global warming and the climate changes of the areas where the Polar Bears live.

With the climate changing, the sea ice is disappearing and this is where Polar Bears hunt for their prey. This means there is less time for the Polar Bear to hunt for food and to store it. This causes the Polar Bear to be left hungry and hinders their reproduction rate. If the current climate changes continue the now endangered Polar Bears will become extinct by the end of the century.

The Polar Bear lives on the arctic coasts and islands of five different countries around the North Pole; these are Canada, Greenland, Russia, Norway and in the northern United States in Alaska. The Polar Bear is the only species that is still living in the original range. There is an estimated 20,000 Polar Bears still living in the wild.

The Polar Bears living in the Hudson Bay are unique because, instead of eating on a regular basis, these bears fast for six to eight months while hibernating. They survive on the food stored for the winter and hunt for survival. Due to the climate changes, there are longer ice free periods during the Arctic summers; therefore, endangered Polar Bears are stuck onshore for much longer periods than normal. The climate changes also cause a delay in the normal freeze-up of the area causing the Polar Bears to lose critical fat reservations which, in the end, affect reproductions. The loss of fat storage also affects the pregnant Polar Bears and their ability to produce enough milk to feed their cubs.

While many country’s governments are working hard at researching what can be done to help save the endangered Polar Bears there is still a long road ahead to saving this beautiful and fascinating species.

Related Links:
Endangered Animals List

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