According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, polar bears are endangered. Between 20,000 and 25,000 of them live in the Arctic, including Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway. However, since 2008 this species has been considered vulnerable, as its population has decreased by 30% over the past 45 years.

The secret hunt for polar bears has led to the fact that they are on the verge of extinction. Now their number is regulated by international rules adopted in Russia, Canada and the United States. In these countries, some locals and indigenous people are allowed to hunt a certain number of bears per year.

However, the adopted rules apply only to hunting. In 2008, the US listed polar bears under the Endangered Species Act. Canada did the same in 2011. The five countries with the highest polar bear populations signed the Polar Bear Conservation Agreement back in 1973. But all these acts also relate only to hunting.

But it turned out that people are doing more harm to this species due to global warming. It has become a major threat to polar bears and their habitats.

“These animals feed on seals and other mammals, which provide them with enough energy to live in the Arctic,” Angela Navas, a researcher at the Central University of Colombia, told Metro. which they live and hunt in. Yes, they hunt in the sea, but spend the rest of their time in this habitat. the time of their hunting is also reduced.

An article written by Ian Stirling and Andrew E. Desrochers, professors of biology at the University of Alberta in Canada and published in the journal Global Change in 2012, states that the range of polar bears has been significantly reduced.

"Of course they won't disappear right now, but they're being hit hard by the melting ice," Jefferson Galeano, a science professor at the University of La Sabana, tells Metro.
Can polar bears adapt to climate change?

Studies cited by Stirling and Desrochers in their article show that male polar bears can feed on nuts, vegetation, and eggs. These observations have been made since 1900. In the same year, it was found that this species could not fully switch to alternative food. Biologically, the polar bear cannot survive on a diet of nuts and vegetation: their intestinal tract is unable to digest them properly.

Ian Stirling, a biologist at the Canadian University of Alberta, answers questions:

Is there any chance that polar bears will survive?

If people stop or at least slow down global warming, then in the northernmost regions there are still places where polar bears can live. But their relatives in the southern regions, such as Hudson Bay, suffer greatly from the reduction of ice masses and are unlikely to survive.

Why is the disappearance of polar bears such an important issue for humanity?

The extinction of this species shows us that global warming has become a big problem and that the ice in the Arctic is melting. Bears are deprived of ice platforms from which they hunt for their main food - seals. The faster the ice melts, the harder it is for bears to survive. That is, we can clearly see that climate change exists, and it is becoming a big problem. More significant and costly indicators of warming for people are persistent droughts, severe storms, rising sea levels due to melting ice, the spread of diseases and insect pests that were not there before because it was too cold. Yes, the problem of the disappearance of polar bears is important in itself, but it also allows people to realize that global warming is a reality, and we need to do something ... now!

How many years do you think polar bears will disappear?

If we can slow or stop global warming in the next 20 years, a certain number of bears will remain in the northern regions. If we do not do this, then not a single polar bear will be left by the end of this century.

What will be the consequences of this?

By itself, the disappearance of polar bears will not cause much harm to the global environment. However, the rise in temperature, which led to the destruction of the habitat of bears, will have a much larger and more serious impact on humans.

Now some measures are being taken to save the polar bears. Are there any results already?

Many countries are making efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China, for example, was not very active for a long time, and now has become a world leader in this area. The international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases signed in Paris is very encouraging. However, recent statements by the US government are extremely worrying because America's active involvement is very important in the fight against global warming.

How can Metro readers help?

There are many programs your readers can participate in. The World Wildlife Fund and other organizations offer donations to save polar bears. And the International Polar Bear Organization offers various initiatives to combat climate change. Readers can also participate in various educational programs and demonstrate true passion for the conservation of nature.

The Arctic is changing rapidly. This land has always been an extreme corner (in terms of weather, daily routine, terrain features, etc.), but nowadays even in the tundra you can see fires.

Warming air and rising sea temperatures are wreaking havoc on the lands of Antarctica - the amount of eternal ice is decreasing, coastal erosion is growing every year. Fires in Alaska are not uncommon either. This can be explained by the critical air temperatures and the drying of the climate. Local residents are at risk of losing their homes and their way of life. Global warming is also dangerous for wildlife, especially for species that directly live on ice, namely for.

In 2008, polar bears were listed as a threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), in part because of the predicted impacts of climate change on their habitat. The latest modeling by the US Geological Survey (USGS) has shown the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere in order to prevent the extinction of polar bear populations.

Decisive action was taken on July 2, 2008, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service released its draft Polar Bear Conservation Plan, calling for a timely and decisive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. Reducing pollution is the only way to curb the threat of polar bear extinction, and it is important that the public heed the recommendations of the environmental stabilization plan.

Animal species that depend on the presence of centuries of ice, in particular polar bears, are in a particularly vulnerable position, since the US Geological Survey announced the complete disappearance of ice at the North Pole by 2050, and it will be a long time before it will appear again. on these lands.

It is so arranged by nature that polar predators feast with pleasure when there is a lot of food, at the same time they are adapted to hunger strikes if there is not enough food; but their fat reserves are not enough to survive global warming.

Polar bears use the ice as platforms for hunting fish, their main prey, and if the ice disappears, the animals will have to move away in search of food and a new life.

This means that during the long absence of ice, polar bears will have to rely on their own strength and rely only on their own fat supply. They may find some food along the way, but as animals with huge energy requirements, bears are more likely to prey on fat, high-calorie mammals that also live on the ice surface.

The ice-free period can last more than four months, and will directly affect the size of the polar bear population. In search of food, predators will enter cities and villages near the Arctic. The keen sense of smell of polar bears will lead them to garbage dumps. It is easy to imagine that these visits will often end badly.

Human intervention in the life of polar bears

In addition to the threat of climate change, another immediate threat to polar bears is the increase in offshore oil and gas production due to the development of the Arctic Ocean. The US government recently agreed to Royal Dutch Shell to conduct exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea, home to one of two polar bear populations.

As for the plan of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to save the population of polar bears, it is designed to save 5 species of polar bears from extinction, living in five different regions: the USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Russia.

A team of over 30 polar bear experts, including staff from the World Wildlife Fund, have been working with the Fish and Wildlife Service over the past few years to ensure polar bears have the right conditions in the event of complete and irreversible danger.

The polar bear in our time is the largest representative of predators on Earth. Lives on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and in the ice of the Arctic, there are about 20-25 thousand of these animals.

Animals feel great at temperatures of 45 degrees and below. This is possible due to the double layer of warm fur, a large layer of fat under the skin, small ears and a short tail (this also prevents heat loss). Polar bears even have to feel discomfort due to overheating of the body when it is necessary to run after prey. In length, they reach 3 meters, the average weight of a male is 350-550 kg, females - up to 380 kg, a specimen weighing up to 1000 kg is known. Animals are considered excellent swimmers, they dive and can swim far into the open sea. The animal often lives alone, sometimes you can see a flock of 2-5 individuals. It feeds exclusively on the meat of mammals, mainly pinnipeds: seals, seals, in addition, the bear eats carrion and what the sea throws out. Sometimes it feeds on rodents, moss and berries.

Polar bears lead a nomadic lifestyle. The male moves all year round, the female with cubs - within six months. Pregnant females make dens in the snow dunes, where they sleep from October to April.

As a rule, females have two or three cubs, which are born very small, weighing up to one kilogram. These animals live for 25-30 years.

Polar bears, as an endangered species, are inscribed in the Red Book. The reasons for this situation were the upcoming general warming on the planet and, as a result, the melting of ice, as well as the development of oil and gas fields, accompanied by atmospheric pollution.

Days in the northern hemisphere are getting longer and warmer. Of course, people rejoice in the coming heat. However, the same cannot be said for polar bears. Animals feel great at temperatures of -45 degrees and below. But from overheating they experience discomfort. In addition, an increase in average temperatures creates the prerequisites for a reduction in the population of the planet's largest predator.

What is happening in the Arctic today? Polar bears feed exclusively on the meat of mammals, mainly pinnipeds: seals, seals, in addition, the bear eats carrion and what the sea throws out. Sometimes, when he is especially hungry, he feeds on rodents, moss and berries.

The reduction in the area of ​​ice cover in the Arctic seas and the change in the age structure of sea ice are forcing polar bears to spend more time on the coast and on the islands. Staying on the coast for a long time, polar bears are deprived of access to their main prey - seals that live on sea ice, and are also at high risk of collision with a person, as a result of which they can be shot.

Today, according to scientists, there are 20-25 thousand individuals left on earth. Is it a lot or a little? Should we keep this view? And if they should, then why? Let's figure it out.

So, how many white bears are left? NO! Their number is extremely small. And it continues to decline, despite the protection of the animal and the ban on its prey. Just one fact. Between 2004 and 2007, out of 80 human-tagged polar bear cubs, only two survived. Previously, at least 50% of newborns managed to survive.

The answer to the next question is already obvious. We must, we simply must protect this species from extinction. And this should be done not because polar bears are cute, or so that our descendants will see them live, and not in photographs. If the polar bear disappears, the ecosystem of the Arctic will also be under threat. As we already know, the diet of the polar bear is a variety of marine animals, mostly pinnipeds. Based on this fact, it can be assumed that the population of these species will increase dramatically after the disappearance of their main enemy. But the number of fish living in the waters of the Arctic Ocean may be reduced, as marine predators will become many times larger, which means that they will need more food. And this will be a huge problem, both for animals and for people.

On the other hand, polar bears provide food for small predators unable to feed themselves by hunting. If a bear manages to kill a walrus, then first of all it devours the skin and fat, the rest of the carcass - only in case of severe hunger. The rest of the prey is usually eaten by Arctic foxes. This means that without the help of minds, arctic foxes may be on the verge of extinction or even die.

Thus, people must do everything to keep the polar bear alive.

What steps is Russia taking in this direction?

In Russia, hunting for a polar bear has been completely prohibited since 1957; this species is listed in the Red Book. Other Arctic countries started introducing hunting restrictions much later.

Since 2010, the Russian Geographical Society has been supporting the Polar Bear project. Its goal is the conservation and study of polar bears in the Russian Arctic, the development of non-invasive methods for collecting biological material (discarded guard hairs, excrement) for genetic studies of the population structure of the species in the region.

By the way, the study of these animals by Russian scientists is the most humane in the world. So, in the United States, to this day, to study polar bears, a tusk is pulled out from a euthanized animal. What then is a predator to live without tools for hunting?

The Russian Geographical Society is constantly expanding the range of studies of the polar bear: at first it was the Barents Sea population, in 2013 the first aviation census of the Chukotka-Alaska population was carried out, and in 2014 work began on the coast of Taimyr.

The work is carried out in cooperation with the Council for Marine Mammals, the National Park "Russian Arctic", "Reserves of Taimyr", as well as the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A.N. Severtsov RAS.

On March 22-24 this year, Russian scientists met with American colleagues in San Diego. During the meeting, a document was signed on the joint study of polar bears in Chukotka and Alaska in the period 2016-2018.

Thus, for many years Russia has been taking care of the preservation of the population of the northern predator. We understand that to save polar bears means to save the ecosystem of the Arctic, and, consequently, the ecosystem of the Earth.

Well, who will now say that Russia is pursuing only its own utilitarian goals in the Arctic?

In December 2010, after a half-century ban, they are going to open a hunt for a polar bear in the territory of Chukotka. The move could push the polar bear to the brink of extinction.

In June 2010, at the last meeting of the joint Russian-American polar bear commission in Anchorage (USA, Alaska), a decision was made to allocate a quota for the indigenous inhabitants of Chukotka to hunt a polar bear. This decision could be fatal for the conservation of this animal species.

Scientists fear that the discovery of hunting, coupled with factors such as the reduction of ice cover in the Arctic, uncontrolled poaching, will lead to the fact that soon the polar bear may be on the verge of extinction.

Information received in the media that the indigenous people of Chukotka will receive a legal right to hunt has noticeably aroused fans of legal poaching. On the websites of a number of "elite" travel agencies have become

more and more often there are announcements about the organization of hunting tours for a polar bear. Officially, this polar predator has not been hunted in the Russian Arctic since 1956. However, according to estimates, over the past 20 years, from 70 to 300 individuals have been illegally destroyed annually in Russia.

In the past 10 years, due to the ongoing reduction of the Arctic ice cover and the increasing anthropogenic pressure of poaching, most polar bear populations have been depressed. According to various estimates of scientists, in the next 50 years, the global polar bear population may decline by 30-50%, and in the Russian Arctic, the threat of their extinction is the highest.

The international group of specialists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the polar bear in 2009 adopted a special resolution on the catastrophic state of the population

Despite the real threat of a significant reduction in the Chukotka polar bear population up to its complete disappearance, there is a rather influential lobby in Russia that seeks the immediate opening of polar bear hunting in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug under the pretext of satisfying the traditional and cultural needs of the indigenous people of the region. In reality, the opening of hunting is necessary for those who are interested in obtaining commercial income from the sale of bear skins and organizing trophy hunts and for those who earn political capital by lobbying for the opening of hunting, defending supposedly "the interests of indigenous peoples."

However, the arguments that the opening of polar bear hunting in Chukotka is necessary to preserve the traditional culture of indigenous peoples are far-fetched. According to the cultural and ethnic traditions of the indigenous inhabitants of the region, the polar bear has never been an object of systematic hunting for life support here, unlike seals, walruses or whales.

Polar bear hunting is unacceptable, especially now that the world's population is under the stress of global climate change. The polar bear is a national resource and pride of Russia. The preservation and restoration of the Chukotka population is in the interests of all Russians, including the long-term interests of the indigenous people of Chukotka!

Shame on us, we should be. That is why I have been participating in the program for three years now.

Why Alaska, Canada, protects its own, and we want to arrange a hunt here.

They are already so bad in view of the fact that they have isolated habitats, a narrow diet of food, they have no enemies, therefore they believe in a person. Sometimes they come to visit

The world for the polar bear is limited by ice fields, and this primarily determines the features of its behavior. Judging by the animals kept in captivity, this bear, in comparison with the brown one, seems less quick-witted and not so dexterous; he is less trainable, more dangerous and excitable, and therefore it is relatively rare to see him in the circus arena. True, he is characterized by some “straightforwardness” in actions, due to a rather monotonous lifestyle, narrow food specialization, and the absence of enemies and competitors. But even a short time to observe this animal in a natural setting is enough to be convinced of the high level of its psyche, its exceptional ability to assess the conditions of the natural environment, including the quality of ice, adapt to them and, depending on them, flexibly change hunting tactics, find the easiest and passable paths among heaps of hummocks, to confidently move through young, fragile ice fields or areas of ice, replete with cracks and leads. The power of this beast is amazing. He is able to drag and lift up the slope the carcass of a walrus weighing over half a ton, with one blow of his paw to kill a large bearded seal, which has almost the same mass as his, and if necessary, easily carry it in his teeth a considerable distance (a kilometer or more).

and we still live here according to Moscow time, because the poles change step left-right 12 hours or more difference with Moscow

I kiss you all. And thank you for your warmth, understanding and sorry for the long post.