The Endangered Species Act

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 Eastern Greenland the polar bear is known as Tornassuk, meaning “the master of helping spirits”. Lapps refuse to speak the polar bear's real name for fear of offending him. Instead they call him "God's dog" or "the old man in the fur cloak.”. Nineteenth-century whalers referred to the polar bear as "the farmer" because of his slow, pigeon-toed gait. The Ket, a Siberian tribe, revere all bears.

The climate change endangers the species, so much so that the animals have become one of the icons that conservationists use to illustrate the threat posed by climate change (The Huffington Post, 2014). You cannot protect a species from the impacts of climate change without addressing the issue of climate change, itself (Defenders of Wildlife, 2013). Large carnivores are extreme indicators of ecosystem health (WWF, n.d.). “As the Arctic sea ice melts, the polar bears lose their primary hunting ground — not to mention their most plentiful and nutritious prey. It remains a question whether they will be able to adapt to changing conditions and survive” (The Huffington Post, 2014).

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.

Polar bears, the largest land carnivores, feed on species, such as seals, fish, young walruses, and, sometimes, choose to scavenge on carcasses of different types of whales. Seeing as most of these animals live underwater, polar bears’ habitat is along the coastal areas of the Arctic tundra. They prefer areas with leads- water channels or cracks through ice which remain open to hunt seals- and polynyas- areas of water, surrounded by ice, that remain open year-round. The niche of male polar bears is to obtain food and protect their families. They can become so vicious that they kill other polar bears to obtain basic items, such as food.

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.

Studies show that polar bears have been listed as a threatened species in the United States. With the survival and preservation of polar bears being considered an urgent and serious issue. Polar bears symbolize the Endangered Species Act. This act is designed to defend certain species from future extinction, “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation”. Given the current status of environmental issues and oil and gas businesses steadily moving towards the homes of polar bears.

Polar bears have created at series of adaptations such as their coats, paws, and feeding patterns to help combat the subzero temperatures. Reproducing is necessary for a species to survive. Polar bears have learned the most efficient method for raising their young in the artic environment. They serve as the main predator for many of the artic animals, but their only predators carry a different caliber. Global warming and starvation are the only competitors for polar bears in the arctic.

The wolf is an incredibility majestic creature of the wild. Centuries of hunting have pushed the wolf to the brink of extinction. Man decided to bring back the wolf, but it took many years before their numbers came up enough to be taken off the endangered species list. Now the wolf is abundant with overwhelming numbers. In 2009, a law was enacted allowing people to go out to the local Fish and Game office and buy a license to hunt wolves.

This is a misdemeanor. Wolves hunt deer, rabbits, moose, and other animals (“Wolf”). Because most of the animals they hunt are in fact larger than them, the sickly, inferior, or downright small are targeted since wolves track then kill prey up to ten times their size with their teeth(“All about Wolves”). This makes the hunted animals population stronger. While wolf hunting habits are a prime example of natural selection, human hunters are the opposite.