The danger of the polar bear
The polar bear is an example of a superbly adapted apex predator. The largest land carnivore on earth is perfectly adapted to life in the Arctic ice sheet. They are superbly insulated due to their double-layered fur and thick layer of fat. They have similar hearing to humans, but their sense of smell is phenomenal, with the ability to smell a seal up to a mile away, even when buried up to 3 feet in snow. Its legs are lined with small bumps and its claws are shorter than other types of bear, providing excellent traction when walking on ice.
Then there is his ability to swim. When hunting on an ice sheet, it pays to know how to swim and the polar bear is an excellent swimmer. So good in fact that there have been reports of them swimming in open arctic waters up to 200 miles from land.
An icy future
But this magnificent animal is under serious threat and in very real danger of extinction, and research suggests that by 2050 two-thirds of the world’s polar bears will be gone.
The polar bear does most of its hunting in the spring and early summer months when they roam the sea ice. However, climate change is causing them to freeze later in winter and melt earlier the following spring. Therefore, bears have to go longer without eating, and this is having a dramatic effect on their body weight and fitness. Everything makes it difficult for them to hunt and survive.
Declining sea ice drives bears to land, and when hungry they are more likely to conflict with the increasing numbers of humans in Arctic areas and are always likely to worsen in the long run.
Act now before it’s too late
The polar bear situation is really tough, but by tackling climate change we can help restore the natural cycle of sea ice and provide polar bears with the hunting grounds on which they depend. But it is necessary to act now, before it is too late.
Action is needed to tackle the problem head-on and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This requires extensive research and campaigns. Even the UK Climate Change Committee has concluded that climate targets are achievable, but the government must act quickly. Embrace a thriller endure today