Polar Bears and their Retreating Habitat

Over 200,000 years ago, glaciers covered much of the earth. Hungry brown bears, probably isolated in the glaciers near Siberia and looking for something to eat, discovered seals. The first bears probably just ate seal carcasses that washed ashore because that was their hunting capability at the time. Within 75,000 years (a short period in evolutionary time), rapid changes took place so bears could survive on ice, be an aggressive hunter and reproduce in a frigid land. That new species, the early polar bear, arrived during the mid-Pleistocene period.

In order to hunt in the artic regions, polar bears have succeeded in adapting to their location. They have developed a large olfactory bulb (Region of the brain that senses smell), which allows them to smell seals almost a kilometer away and a meter under compressed snow. Polar bears weigh 544kg, and could kill almost any animal with a swipe of a paw. Their paws measure up to 31 centimeters across and are purposed to help distribute weight while walking on the ice. Their paws help them maintain stealthy attacks on marine animals, and conquer the obstacle of thin ice.

Other areas inhabited by polar bears include Alas... ... middle of paper ... ...t of Biological Sciences with the University of Alberta. He has studied polar bears in the Canadian Arctic for over 40 years. His studies have linked the loss of sea ice due to climate change to the decline of the polar bear population. * Other readings of interest about polar bears: - Susan McGrath, July - 2011, National Geographic, "On Thin Ice" http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/polar-bears/mcgrath-text?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampa... - Ian Stirling, 2011, "Polar Bears, The Natural History of a Threatened Species" - Pagano, A. M., G. M. Durner, S. C. Amstrup, K. S. Simac, and G. S. York. 2012.

1914 began the official war of the wolves. This year Congress officially approves funds for the eradication of wolves, cougars, and other destructive animals. Wolves were declared destructive to agricultural and big game interests and formally hunted. Nearly a century later, in 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness(Phillips, 1996, p.20). The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park did not end the debate of whether wolves should stay or go.

Polar bears and climate change. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/polar-bear/climate-change Works Cited National wildlife federation—global warming and polar bears—2014--http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx Siegal, K. (2014). One critical reason to cut global warming pollution now: The amazing polar bear. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kassie-siegel/polar-bears-climate_b_1095121.html WWF. (N.D.).

Polar bears are big, white bears (sometimes darker fur) that live in very cold regions like around the artic poles. There are 21,000 to 28,000 Polar bears alive that are known. Polar bears swim in water and are carnivores, they eat fish . Polar bears feed mainly on ringed seals and bearded seals. Depending upon their location, they also eat harp and hooded seals and eat carcasses of beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and Bowhead whales.

Out of an Ice Age emerged one of our most majestic creatures in the world the polar bear. From its brown bear ancestry, the predator evolved to be a master of a harsh and unwelcoming ice kingdom. Intelligent, adaptable and fierce, the polar bear learned how to survive in a place that offers few comforts to any creature. But now that very environment is in flux. And so is the polar bear’s fate (Nature).

This sport hunting is now illegal. The bear’s fur is obtained as a trophy for the floor or to make coats; polar bears also provide meat. Until 1950, only Inuit’s hunted the polar bears barely killing one-hundred a year; now 700 are killed each year due to illegal hunting. Because hunters placed a great deal of pressure on polar bears, the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears was signed on November 15, 1973 in Oslo Polar Bears International). The polar bear population is estimated to b... ... middle of paper ... ...bears.

(1998), The Plight of B.C.’s Grizzlies, Nature Canada, Spring98, Vol. 27 Issue 2, p37 Thornton, A. (1999), A Grizzly Business, Earth Island Journal, Summer99, p31 Fig.1 Proposed and existing protected areas in B.C. (from Conservation of Grizzly Bears in British Columbia:Background Report , 1995)

Habitat Polar bears prefer to live in extremely cold artic climates. They live only in the Northern Hemisphere, on the arctic ice cap, and they spend most of their time on coastal areas. Polar bears are widely spread in Canada, extending from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay area. They are also found in Greenland, on islands off the shore of Norway, on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union, and on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska in the United States. Physical Features The polar bear is one the largest members of the bear family.