Every year on February 27th, International Polar Bear Day raises awareness for the issues that polar bears face. It’s also a day to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint as a way to minimize the effects of global climate change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has deemed the polar bear a vulnerable species. Sea ice loss due to climate change is the biggest threat to this animal’s survival. Currently, there are an estimated 26,000 polar bears in the world. They live in 19 different populations across the Arctic. About 60 percent of these populations are within or shared by Canada. Polar bears are also found in Alaska, Norway, Greenland, and Russia.
Here are some more facts about polar bears:
- Hibernating polar bear moms go 8 months without a meal.
- Female polar bears start a new family about every 3 years.
- Polar bears can travel up to 19 miles a day for several days.
- Underneath all that thick translucent fur, polar bears have jet black skin.
One more fact about polar bears is that newborn polar bear cubs weigh just over 1 pound. By the time they are two years old, they weigh hundreds of pounds. An adult male polar bear weighs more than 1,700 pounds.
Polar Bears International (PBI) created International Polar Bear Day in 2011. Part of their goal was to protect denning polar bear families across the Arctic. For this reason, PBI chose February 27th as it coincides with the time period that polar bear moms and cubs are snug in their dens. PBI is a nonprofit polar bear conservation organization. They have headquarters in Bozeman, Montana, and Churchill, Manitoba.
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