Global warming is melting the polar ice caps, robbing polar bears of the ice floes they need to hunt prey. As the annual sea ice melts, polar bears are forced ashore to spend their summers fasting. If the Arctic ice cap continues to melt sooner and form later, polar bears will become too thin to reproduce and they will become extinct by the end of this century.
The polar bear's home – the Arctic – is experiencing the effects of global warming more than any other place. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at almost twice the rate of that of the rest of the world, and this is threatening to place the entire Arctic ecosystem in jeopardy.
The polar bear's home – the Arctic – is experiencing the effects of global warming more than any other place. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at almost twice the rate of that of the rest of the world, and this is threatening to place the entire Arctic ecosystem in jeopardy.
Arctic sea ice is shrinking by up to 5% every ten years – sea ice that not only provides hunting ground for polar bears, but shelter and transportation for seals, walrus, arctic foxes, and the Inuit people. The underside provides a surface for algae that support cod, char, beluga, and narwhal. The white sea ice also has a cooling effect on climate by reflecting light away from Earth's surface. As it melts, the global warming advances even more quickly.
Facts on Polar Bears:
- Common Name: Polar Bear
- Latin Name: Ursus Maritimus
- Status: Special Concern (according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)
- Size: Males are typically between 2 and 3 m long and weigh up to 500 kg, though a few weigh as much as 800 kg. Females weigh between 150 to 250 kg.
- Population: 22,000 to 27,000
- Life Span: 20 to 25 years
- Range: Most polar bears live in Canada, but other populations exist in Alaska, Russia, Greenland and Norway.
- Threats: climate change, air pollution, oil spills, toxic chemicals.
