Bears are carnivorous mammals of the ursid family of which there are eight different species and many more subspecies, they are all over the world except in Antarctica and Australia, endangered polar bear it is the only member of this family that is truly carnivorous. We invite you to continue reading to learn a little more about them.
The endangered polar bear
The bear is a plantigrade, this means that in the tracks of the bears we observe that they have a heel and five fingers, most mammals only have two fingers, they use their claws to eat, dig the earth or snow to prepare their caves, the bear, along with humans and gorillas, is an animal that supports the entire sole of the foot when walking and not just the tips of the toes, they can also stand on their hind legs, to monitor the terrain, look for food or scare the enemies.
Bears are excellent fishermen, they can eat up to sixteen kilograms of food daily and thus accumulate fat to survive in the cold. They are characterized by being solitary animals, which are always on the move to get food and during the mating season, the polar bear lives in the sea and can remain underwater for up to two minutes without breathing.
When the polar bear becomes a mother, it behaves the same as the other species of bears, it is in charge of feeding and caring for the young, it differs from the other species not only because of its color, but it is the only animal that truly eats meat, they live in the Arctic, on the coasts surrounding the North Pole, they swim up to a hundred kilometers without resting.
The endangered polar bear is like this thanks to global warming in the Arctic, which makes it difficult for bears to get enough food to then nurse their young.
Its height is approximately three and a half meters and it weighs more than five hundred kilograms, as well as how it moves underwater, it can also move on land and manage to run at least forty kilometers per hour, it has a thick layer under the skin. of fat that protects it from the cold, with padded feet covered with hair to avoid freezing.
Their eyesight is not very good but their sense of smell is extraordinary, they smell like a seal two kilometers away, the Phocas They are their favorite food.
In reproduction, the female can have from one to three cubs, which are born in a burrow that she herself prepares with her claws digging in the snow, the cubs spend at least three months without leaving the cave, feeding on breast milk. In general, these are quite playful and like to slide down snowy slopes, that way they acquire the skills they need to survive as adults.
How many polar bears are left?
This animal entered the list of endangered animals in 2008, according to the United States government, they assume that in half a century these animals will disappear, at least half of the amount that currently exists, according to a study it is considered that they exist for this year 2020 about twenty-five thousand copies, according to the environmental congress this decision to place them on the list of animals in danger of extinction, should have been taken a long time ago.
A late move, but for the time very wise, political experts in charge of the environment have concluded that this is a worrying situation for the polar bear in danger of extinction, since temperatures have increased in the Arctic and in the last ten thousand years , this animal has been disappearing little by little for the reasons that we previously discussed.
The little food that a bear can get in an area where the poles are melting has caused it to not be able to give breast milk to its young and thus has lowered its ability to reproduce.
There is a small probability that the poles at a certain point on Earth are not melting and for this reason polar bears are migrating to those areas, where their population does not feel vulnerable, this being an animal in danger of extinction and also a wild animal, scientists are unlikely to be able to accurately count how many species remain.
Why is the polar bear in danger of extinction? Causes
One of the fundamental causes that the polar bear is in danger of extinction is pollution, the planet is daily exposed to chemical agents that affect the environment and although all chemical agents are not exposed near the Arctic, they are agents that travel through the water or through the air, agents that can penetrate the skin of a seal and the polar bear eat it, contract and Diseases caused by pollution since it would enter your body.
If the bear is pregnant, these agents cause the cubs to be born sick, weak or cause spontaneous abortions, for this reason it is said that the polar bear is disappearing for two reasons: the first is global warming, the second is the inability to reproduce safely.
When the ice melts, they cause a loss in their habitat and the land where they move, and although polar bears can swim, they cannot stay in the water for a long time, this also causes them to stay in these areas. without food, since the seals and other animals that serve as food for the bear move to areas where there is solid ground.
To all these problems we can add the oil industry, which every day drills more land and expands, to get oil and for this reason the bears are also becoming homeless.
The illegal hunting of the polar bear is due to its beautiful fur, which is used to make clothing in the Arctic to cover itself from the cold, this is done mainly in the north of eastern Russia, where the house is impressive and they export this skin worldwide and some people live and have a very fruitful economy thanks to this.
Ways to prevent the extinction of the polar bear
We have already explained how the imminent danger came to the polar bear in extinction, however, there are some things that can be done to prevent its total disappearance, this can only be done with human actions, since the causes that originate the polar bear is in danger of extinction are mostly caused by the decisions made by human beings, as they do not have ecological awareness.
For this we need some nations to be stricter in terms of recycling, so that the waste does not reach the area where the polar bears come from, environmental policies will be very helpful in order to defend the habitat of these animals.
But obviously we can not do much when it is the governments that must make the appropriate decisions and take responsibility for the problem of animals in extinction, those necessary to avoid this, not only will they generate a change for all animals in extinction, also They are going to generate a change in the planet and another for the health that they need to continue existing for several centuries, these measures are:
- Not generate as much carbon dioxide.
- Save electricity and avoid excessive consumption, the same for domestic gas.
- Eating non-toxic food, harmful to humans or animals, in short, to planet Earth.
- Create organizations that defend the rights of animals to continue existing.
To stop climate change depends on a treaty between countries, as well as an agreement that was signed many years ago in Paris and came into force months later, it is not about signing agreements or deadlines for which countries to act, it is about each one do what you must do, regarding your toxic waste and with the cooperation to have a stable environment.
On the other hand, attempts have been made to include new operations and even reserves for polar bears, however, it has been impossible to keep these animals in an environment that is not theirs, the only area in which these animals can survive is In the Arctic.
There is an organization called OSPAR in charge of internationally coordinating the protection of the Arctic and the marine world that exists in it, OSPAR meets annually with representatives of all countries, in order to make decisions according to the problems that are increasing daily.
arctic protection
The idea to protect the Arctic is quite unpredictable, since the low temperature and the amount of Wild animals It makes it difficult for a man to establish access points for the OSPAR organization and at the same time be able to attend any call at the indicated time.
For this reason they have to assist other countries and the conventions are at a global level, but the rulers are not at the end of knowing what the real situation is, because beyond a small image or a live video that they can show, of how the poles are melting or how these animals are becoming homeless, you must live and see it in person so that this situation touches the heart of each one of the human beings.
The polar bear will continue to be the main animal in danger of extinction in the Arctic and therefore will continue to be the main objective of the OSPAR organization, they must save at least the life of the current population of bears and ensure that they live in captivity and not allow them to continue to disappear.
For the Arctic this is a symbolic animal, it is part of the ecology and wildlife of this area of the world, it is also seeking to reach an agreement so that in the Arctic area at least a few kilometers around what is its area maritime, a sanctuary is created and in this way prohibit fishing and all economic activity that may originate in it.
Let us remember that the decisions that must be made to protect these animals and to protect the vulnerable areas where they live depend on man, if you think a little, the animals in danger of extinction, almost all are that way, not because of them, but because of man's decisions, almost all are in danger of extinction due to pollution, deforestation, mistreatment, illegal hunting, among other actions that man carries out without thinking about the ecosystem.
The future of the polar bear
The United States government assumes that in half a century these animals will disappear, at least half of the amount that currently exists, according to a study it is considered that there are currently about twenty-five thousand copies.
The only positive future for this animal species is to live in captivity, which has not been achieved, according to certain environmental organizations, there is a part of the Arctic that global warming is not affecting and that is where the bears should all coexist together which is a problem since it is a solitary animal.
The problem would arise at the time of hunting, they are usually very selfish and authoritarian with their territory, the only way in which polar bears seek help to hunt is when their prey is a killer whale, which gives enough vitamins to the mother to nurse their young for several months, until they can come out and feed on meat.
We hope that in a couple of years the organization meets its objectives and manages to save this beautiful species.