Learn more about polar bears and their threats!
Transcript:
Why are Polar Bears so iconic? What makes them unique? Is climate change really their biggest threat? Let’s find out.
Polar Bears are the largest bears in the world with some coming in at a whopping 1,700 pounds. These iconic, white bears are only found in the Arctic where they are the top predator feeding almost exclusively on ringed and bearded seals, although they have been known to snack on Walrus, Beluga Whale and Bowhead Whale carcasses.
Polar Bears are both terrestrial and pagophilic, or ice-living, meaning they rely heavily on thick sea ice for hunting, traveling, resting, and mating. They depend so heavily on these marine ecosystems that they’re actually considered a marine mammal.
As the planet warms, this crucial sea ice is disappearing. Historically, thick ice dominated the arctic landscape year-round. But today, there is more thin, seasonal ice and the amount of old, thick sea ice is lower than it has ever been. Thin ice melts more easily and moves faster, forcing Polar Bears to adjust their strategies to find food. Hungry bears are also more likely to wander into human settlements in search of food creating human-bear conflict.
While Polar Bears are incredibly strong swimmers and routinely cover about 30 miles, they are being forced to swim further and further to find reliable and huntable ice. This expends more energy, increases the risk of drowning and makes it harder to survive harsh Arctic conditions.
Due to climate change and vanishing sea ice, Alaska’s Southern Beaufort Sea population of polar bears is increasingly using land along the coast, for hunting and maternal denning – but vanishing sea ice isn’t their only threat.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain is the most important land habitat for denning Polar Bears, and 76% of the coastal plain is designated critical Polar Bear habitat. Yet, this and other critical habitat across Alaska’s Arctic is at risk of continued fragmentation and destruction from oil and gas development, putting this iconic species in the cross-hairs of extinction.
Polar Bears were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2008, and their status as a marine mammal provides some protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. These laws do not, however, reduce greenhouse gas emissions or restore sea ice.
To help Polar Bears face today’s challenges and recover in the long run, we must reduce our carbon footprint. In the meantime, safeguarding Polar Bear habitat from development, especially terrestrial denning habitat, can help bears survive the challenges they face.
Defenders of Wildlife is working hard in Alaska to protect and defend Polar Bears and their habitat. Learn more about what’s happening now by visiting Defenders.org/polar-bear
Defenders of Wildlife works on the ground, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill to protect and restore imperiled wildlife and habitats across North America. Together, we can ensure a future for the wildlife and wild places we all love
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