IN THE NEWS: U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO RECOGNIZE POLAR BEARS AS “THREATENED” UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

Polar bears hunt, feed, mate and frequently den on the sea ice. Yet this ocean habitat is vanishing as a result of warming air and sea temperatures over the last decades, caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Nearly two thirds of the world’s polar bears live in Canada.

WWF is a global leader in polar bear conservation, working with communities, scientists, and government agencies around the Arctic to protect polar bears. In Canada we have supported the 30-year study of the western Hudson Bay polar bear population, as well as various Inuit compilations of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of changes in polar bears and their sea-ice habitats.

WWF-Canada is particularly concerned about this species as a symbol of Arctic wildlife. The main threat to polar bears is human activities – accelerating emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, energy wastage etc. But we believe that people do care, and that they will now call on their elected leaders to swiftly address this urgent issue. Polar Bears may disappear from many parts of their current range before the end of this century if green house gas emissions continue to climb.