National Polar Bear Day 2012: Why Bears Matter
February 27 marks National Polar Bear Day, a day to raise awareness for declining numbers of polar bears worldwide.
Canada is home to around 15,500 of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in global polar regions, according to Environment Canada. At least 27 per cent of Canada’s polar bears have a high risk of declining by 30 per cent or more over the next 36 years.
Just like any endangered habitat, Canadian polar bears also face threats. The main threats include the loss of sea ice habitat through climate change, increased industrial activities including oil and gas and unsustainable harvest for some populations, according to the World Wildlife Fund Canada.
On Monday, a new live polar bear webcam allowed viewers to watch a small cub grow and aimed to promote efforts to protect polar bears and their arctic habitat. Siku the bear gained Internet popularity after he was was born last November at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark.
To show you some bear love, here are some of our favourite polar bears in action:
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The Huffington Post Canada Posted: 02/27/2012 5:18 pm