Are Polar Bears Endangered

Polar Bears, also known as 'sea bears', are the closest relative of the brown bear. Adult male polar bears weigh between 550-1700 pounds, and can measure from 8-10 feet in height. On the other hand, the females are smaller, weighing between 200-700 pounds. They measure from 6-8 feet in height. Polar bears can live up to 15-18 years on average in the wild, and up to 30 years in captivity. Scientists have recognized 19 distinct populations of polar bears; however, no sub species have been found. The scientific name of the polar bear is Ursus maritimus, and its scientific classification is as follows:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: maritimus

What is the Current Population of Polar Bears?
Polar bears are found in five nations: Canada, Russia, U.S (Alaska), Denmark and Norway. An accurate estimate about polar bear population is unavailable, as it is difficult to find and count all of them. However, the rough estimate is that there are between 22,000 to 40,000 polar bears living today, of which more than half live in Canada.

What does a Polar Bear Hunt and Eat?
Polar bears thrive in the Arctic regions, and are not found in the southern hemisphere. This is because of the different polar bear adaptations. Polar bears have adapted to living in the cold winter conditions of the Arctic, as the Arctic region is where they have their favorite food source: the seal. The ringed seal and the bearded seal are the bear's primary source of food. Polar bears eat the fat of the seal and leave the remaining carcass for scavengers like ravens, arctic foxes and younger bears.

Are Polar Bears Endangered?
Species which are on the verge of extinction are classified as endangered species. The question 'are polar bears becoming endangered?' is on everybody's mind. The answer to this is 'not yet'. The predominant reason of polar bears getting closer to becoming endangered is global warming. Global warming has taken a toll on the population numbers of polar bears. Today, polar bears are listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 2005, the polar bear was reclassified as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species, noting that polar bears could become extinct if the sea ice changes continue.

Increase in temperature in the Arctic regions due to global warming has caused the ice to melt. Ice is the habitat of these polar bears, which they use for hunting, traveling and mating. In some areas, bears spend the summer months on land and fast until ice is formed in the fall. They then use the ice as a rostrum to hunt seals in the seas. According to certain studies related to polar bear population in Canada, the period of fasting has increased by three weeks since the 1970s. Moreover, the population has declined by 15% in the past ten years. The US Minerals Management Service in northern Alaska has reported that some polar bears have drowned in the attempt to swim long distances between land and ice.

Global warming has caused other animals to die in the Arctic region, which is why polar bears have nothing to eat. Sadly, the only food source polar bears are left with are their own kind, which further reduces the number of polar bears. The answer to 'why are polar bears dying so rapidly?' can also be attributed to human beings. Humans have been hunting polar bears for fur and other needs. Scientists state that if the current global warming trends continue in the Arctic region, then the consequence of it will be disappearance of two-thirds of the polar bear population by 2050. On May 14, 2008, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced its decision about classifying polar bears as 'threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act.

It is necessary to protect the shrinking sea ice habitat for polar bears whose existence has been threatened. The other reasons for polar bears becoming threatened are poaching, industrial disturbances and pollution. Amongst the different wildlife species residing in the Arctic, polar bears are the most appropriate icon of the eco-region. The very fact that polar bears are threatened today implies that there is something wrong in the Arctic marine ecosystem. These gorgeous animals are bearing the brunt of our negligence and inconsideration. It is high time we take measures to prevent poaching and stop global warming!