Polar Bears- Ari Fridman

 Polar Bears: Ursus Maritimus

By: Ari Fridman

Image by: Anya Dimelow

Polar bears, also known as Ursus Maritimus, are the largest land carnivore, living primarily around the waters of the norther hemisphere. They prefer areas of cold, with heavy arctic ice. The polar bears have been recently threatened by he loss of this Arctic sea ice due to climate change. The severity of this threat was great enough that the bears were listed as threatened under the endangered species act on May 5, 2008. In doing so they were automatically listed under the Marine Mamal Protection Act

 (MMPA) and made 2008, the year of the polar bear. There are currently approximately 20,000 polar bears in the wild. Recovery plans are now in place to try to save the bears.

             Physical Description:

Image by: Rinnie Van Meurs

    Male polar bears can grow to over 1,500 lbs. and 8 ft. long, making them the largest land carnivore. Compared to other bears around the world, polar bears have a relatively slim build and long neck. The appearance of their fur varies in color (brown, white, yellow) depending on the reflection of light through their actually clear hairs and the season. The black skin underneath, seen only on the paws and nose, serves to absorb heat and keep the bear warm.

                      Diet: 

    The polar bear diet consists primarily of ringed and bearded seals. The polar bear waits near a crack in the ice for a seal to appear and then catches it. They are also found to scavenge on whale carcasses.

  Geography:          

     Polar bears are found all throughout the circumpolar arctic. They mainly stay in the north, with their range limitation being how far the polar ice extends south. They need the ice to hunt seals. Polar bears are often found visiting northern countries like Norway and Canada. 
                                             

Threats to Existence:

     Given the importance of polar ice to the bears hunting habits, the ever warming Arctic is making it increasingly difficult for them to find prey. With less ice, the bears find it nearly impossible to catch seals, and they can't survive on fish alone. There are so few efforts in place to actually stop this ice from melting, and those that are may take a very long time. This means that without any other outside intervention, they will simply continue to lose their habitats and prey.

Recovery Plan:

     
     The prevailing issue currently facing this great carnivore is an inability to catch enough prey. The only real way we can stop the ice from melting is by putting in a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other substances causing climate change. Even then, the temperature would recover slowly and the polar bears would likely face years more of hardship. Due to this, there are efforts being put in to prevent any other harm from coming to their habitat. For example there are ongoing projects to minimize bear - man conflict as well as to protect the waters from spills and chemical runoff. 

What Can You Do?

     You as an individual can make a large difference. Increase awareness yourself on the adverse effects of climate change and lower your own emissions. But it trully has to be a global effort, or our earths polar temperatures will continue to rise. If we continue with the mentality that our actions don't really effect the environment and its creatures it will be too late. Without alteration from our current path, we have a very good chance of eliminating one of the greatest beasts left on earth.

Other Resources:

https://polarbearsinternational.org/
https://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/polar-bears

Works Cited:

Coghlan, Andy. “Zoologger: Polar Bears Evolved to Eat Junk Food.” New Scientist,                                                            www.newscientist.com/article/dn25535-zoologger-polar-bears-evolved-to-eat-junk-food/.

Domico, Terry. Bears of the World. New York: Facts On File, 1988.

Planet, Eco Kids. “Can We Save Polar Bears by Moving Them to Antarctica?” Eco Kids Planet,                                        www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk/blogs/news/can-we-save-polar-bears-by-moving-them-to-antarctica.

“Polar Bears.” Seaworld.org, seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/polar-bears/habitat-and-distribution.