Climate change is impacting habitats and animals across the globe. When we use energy we create carbon dioxide, which when released into the atmosphere, causes changes in climate. Excess carbon creates an overall warming effect that is impacting wildlife.
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) live on Arctic coasts including northern Alaska and Russia, historically hunting on ice masses which extend from the land. These Arctic regions are directly affected by climate change. The increase in temperature is causing the ice to melt and dramatically changing the landscape as the bodies of water that separate the land masses increase.
 |
|
Photo credit: Polar Bears International
|
Because polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases, denning; decreased amounts of ice means fewer hunting opportunities and increased scarcity of food. Some bears appear to have adapted to life farther inland. But more bears are showing signs of being malnourished or are even drowning as they try to swim the increasingly longer distances between ice masses in search of prey.
In May 2008, polar bears were listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. This was the first time an animal had been listed as threatened or endangered due to climate change.
Today, it is estimated that by 2050, two-thirds of the wild polar bear population will be gone due to loss of sea ice. Other threats include pollution, poaching and industrial impact.
Philadelphia Zoo partner
Polar Bears International (PBI) is conducting research, education and action-based programs that address the issues that are endangering polar bears.
The Zoo has been working with Polar Bears International (PBI) since 2006 to raise awareness of the threat climate change poses to polar bear survival and provide support to researchers studying these animals so uniquely adapted to the frozen Arctic world.
In 2009, PBI formed an official alliance with the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a membership organization of accredited U.S. zoos and aquariums representing more than 200 organizations. The purpose of the alliance is to leverage the approximately 175 million people that visit AZA institutions every year – an audience larger than all sporting events combined – and engage as many of those visitors as possible in taking action to save polar bears. As a PBI “Arctic Ambassador Center,” the Philadelphia Zoo shares this same goal.
Over the years, we’ve collaborated with PBI to support awareness raising events, sent staff to Churchill, Manitoba to help lead a program on polar bear conservation and sent students and staff to attend PBI’s “Teen Leadership” and “Communicators Leadership” camps respectively.
Zoo Education and Institutional liaisons continue to work with PBI staff between trips to Churchill, as do our animal keepers who are involved through the “
Trees for You and Me” program and an alliance with PBI of their own.
Moving forward, our work with PBI promises to expand as we become even more deeply committed to addressing climate change issues and polar bear protection.
 |
|
Photo credit: Polar Bears International
|
As the poster child for a warming planet, polar bears have taken on a kind of celebrity status. And as most celebrities do, they require an agent to succeed. Someone to spread the word, stress how important they are and highlight their many accomplishments. Of course the difference between Hollywood agents and polar bear agents--besides a hefty paycheck--is that people representing polar bears are what we, and Polar Bear International, like to call, "Agents of Change."
As part of the Zoo’s commitment to polar bears we are tracking our own
energy use here on Zoo grounds and continuing to reduce our carbon footprint. We have also created the UNLESS Campaign for Saving Energy, a multi-year effort to address the effects of climate change on wildlife. We urge you to join the Campaign and become an agent of change for polar bears.