POLAR BEAR

The Polar Bear

Polar bears are icons of climate change — the most visible, most emblematic species threatened by our warming world. These massive, white-furred bears are perfectly adapted to life on the Arctic sea ice, where they spend most of their lives hunting ringed and bearded seals. They are, in essence, marine mammals that walk on land.

The connection between polar bears and sea ice is absolute. Polar bears need sea ice as a platform to hunt seals. When the ice melts in summer, polar bears come ashore and survive on fat reserves until the ice returns. But as Arctic temperatures rise, the ice is forming later in autumn and melting earlier in spring. The hunting season is getting shorter. Polar bears are being forced to fast for longer periods.

The IUCN estimates that polar bear populations will decline by 30% within the next 35-40 years if warming continues at its current rate. Some populations are already showing signs of stress: lower body weights, fewer cubs, more starvation. The polar bear's future depends entirely on our willingness to act on climate change.