Polar Bear Central

There are more than 22 thousand polar bears in the glacial Arctic, but this may soon not be the case if the Arctic keeps on warming up at double the pace as the rest of the globe. The species is at risk of extermination because global warming is causing ruinous environmental change in the Arctic, including the speedy melting of the Polar sea ice.

By nature they're one of the world's most robust swimmers but recently it was reported that four were found drowned in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia. They had apparently swam beyond their range and died after not being able to find suitable pack ice upon which to rest. Under these circumstances, they depend upon ice floes for their very survival. continued...

Bear drownings are natural but alarmingly, they are becoming increasingly more common. Additionally, birthrates are decreasing and fewer cubs are surviving.

Due to worldwide warming, the sea ice which polar bears inhabit dissolves sooner and sooner every year, leaving them with a more diminished domain in which to obtain food and increasing the number and frequency of bear drownings Although pollution and hunting are other real threats to polar bears, global climate change is the greatest of them all.

The problem has become so great that the World Conservation Union (IUCN) recently re-examined the status of the polar bear and has updated it to "vulnerable".

Some estimates say that unless radical mesaures are taken soon the polar bear may be completely killed-off as soon as the year 2040.

Compounding the problem is the fact that as Polar bears attempt to adjust to their thawing habitat, they appear to be having a few troubles doing so. As a result, in populated areas they're now considered a menace for human beings since they're exploring for food on beaches and in settlements they would normally avoid. Because of the conflict with man some bears are being killed out of fear by the local populace.

What Can Be Done?

Clearly something needs to be done to protect the Polar bear from eventual extinction. Although the problem is not an emergency right at this moment, we must not wait until it's too late to make a difference.

If we love animals, we must act right now to head off this avoidable disaster. At the same time we will also be protecting other Arctic life forms and ultimately ourseleves.

We simply can't stand by and allow the problem to errode to the point where this noble beast disappears from our world.

Thankfully, there are groups of concerned citizens that have organized to put pressure on governments to alleviate the stress on the Polar bears and their young.