Polar bears are the world's largest land-based carnivores, despite spending the majority of their life near water and ice (their Latin name means "Sea Bear"). As a result, they're particularly vulnerable to global warming, which is destroying the Arctic sea ice on which they rely. We already know that polar bears live in the Arctic and that the Arctic is their natural habitat. Unfortunately, they are in grave danger as a result of global warming. Here's why these magnificent polar bears are endangered— and why we must act quickly to save the polar bears.

Polar Bears Are Starving As A Result Of Climate Change

Wondering, “how climate change affects polar bears?” Polar bears face a severe threat with sea ice melting quickly as a result of climate change. 

First let's take a closer look at why the sea ice is melting:

Why Is Sea Ice Melting?

Specifically, since the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions have raised temperatures, even higher in the poles, and as a result, glaciers are rapidly melting, calving off into the sea and retreating on land.

According to WWF (worldwildlife.org) even if we significantly curb emissions in the coming decades, more than a third of the world’s remaining glaciers will melt before the year 2100. When it comes to sea ice, 95% of the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic is already gone.

As sea ice melts in the Arctic, wildlife such as polar bears spend more time on land, resulting in increased human-bear conflict.Their natural habitat is changing at an alarming rate, putting the species that rely on it in perilous situations. According to a study published in National Geographic, polar bears really are starving because of global warming

1. Polar bears rely almost exclusively on a calorie-loaded diet of seals. Bears continue to hunt to conserve energy, waiting for hours beside seals' cone-shaped breathing holes in the sea ice. When a seal comes to the surface to breathe, the bear stands on its hind legs and stuns it by smacking it on the head with both front paws. The bear then bites its neck and drags it onto the ice. This method of hunting is significantly more successful than any other. As a result, the melting of Arctic sea ice poses a threat to polar bear survival.

2. The farther the bears have to travel to get on the ice to hunt the more weight they lose.  They eventually lose muscle, which reduces their hunting success and can lead to a downward spiral. Bears are also swimming a lot more as the sea ice melts. More swimming may result in smaller bears, lower reproduction rates, and possibly an increased chance of death, as observed in western Hudson Bay and the southern Beaufort Sea.

How Many Polar Bears Are There?

Why Are Polar Bears Endangered? – Main Threats To Polar Bears

1. Climate Change

Polar bears rely on sea ice for hunting, breeding, roaming, and possibly dening. Denning is one of the most vulnerable times in polar bear life history as the family group cannot simply walk away from a disturbance without jeopardizing the survival of newly born cubs. Pregnant polar bears enter maternity dens in October/November, give birth to cubs in December/January, and exit dens in March/April. 

However, as a result of human-caused climate change, the Arctic is warming and the ice is melting. Longer ice-free seasons and longer fasting periods have contributed to a reduction in certain polar bear populations in regions of the Arctic.

2. Commercial Interests

   
   

As the Arctic has become more accessible, commercial activity has expanded. Oil and gas exploration and development, shipping, mining, and tourism are among these businesses, each with its own set of obstacles. Oil and gas production, for example, not only pose a risk of leaks, but also has the potential to disrupt polar bear moms and cubs who are hiding in dens beneath the snow at their most vulnerable stage of life. Keeping polar bears safe from harm will need attention and cautious management.

3. What Does It Take to Keep Dens Safe? 

During the winter, female polar bears build dens in which they give birth to their cubs. Although the arctic winters are bitterly cold, with piercing winds and lengthy nights, this is a critical period for polar bear cub growth. The cubs are born in the middle of the winter, small, hairless, and helpless. They are protected within dens of ice and snow that provide relative warmth and stable temperatures. Denning is the most critical period in the life of a polar bear. And, in a warming Arctic where polar bears confront immense obstacles, every single cub's survival is vital.

4. Encounters & Conflicts

As the Arctic sea ice thins and retreats, an increasing number of polar bears are resting along Arctic beaches throughout the summer open-water season. Their strong sense of smell draws them to human waste, stored food, dog teams, and animal carcasses, putting them in direct conflict with Arctic residents.

5. Pollution

The polar bear’s natural environment may seem white and pristine, far away from the pollution that plagues big towns and industrial regions. However, in some sections of the Arctic, polar bears may carry very large amounts of harmful substances. Why? Because pollutants are transported to sections of the Arctic by wind and ocean currents, where they concentrate as they move up the food chain. When polar bears eat seals, they absorb these greater amounts of pollutants. Reducing these contaminants will benefit not just polar bears but also humans.

6. Diseases Due To Climate Change

New diseases are posing a threat to polar bears. The polar bears’ world is changing. In 2008 polar bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which afforded the bears new protections. Polar bears were the first vertebrate species to be designated as threatened by extinction by the US Endangered Species Act, according to the National Wildlife Federation, primarily owing to global warming.

• Alaska Is Considered As A Crossroads

When polar bears feed alongside birds at sites on Alaska's northern shore where the remnants of subsistence-harvested bowhead whales are gathered, they may be exposed to threats from distant regions of the world. Millions of migrating birds visit Alaska each year, coming from all over the world. Pathogens and poisons can be transported to the Arctic ecosystem by migratory animals, as well as growing human tourist and shipping opportunities. A number of ecological epidemiologists have predicted that parasites and infectious pathogens will expand their ranges northward. And we're seeing some of the first signs of that in polar bears with increasing parasite exposure.

• Coxiella

The World Health Organization reports: “Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans. Coxiella is a bacteria that causes Q fever, a zoonotic disease that may spread between humans and wildlife. Coxiella is highly pathogenic, meaning it can cause sickness and is easily spread.

Polar bears have most likely survived previous warmer cycles. However, this time the warming is more rapid, and it is exacerbated by human-caused habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and pollution.

7. Overharvesting

The most serious threat to the polar bear's survival in the past was unrestricted commercial and sport hunting. International laws and good management have made this a less difficult issue

As we go towards a more uncertain future, care is required to ensure that these restricted hunts continue to be viable.

We Hold The Key To Their Future

The polar bear is classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Given the nature and scope of the dangers that polar bears face, the species will require adaptive management today––along with robust global climate change action––for the species to survive in the long run.

How Can We Save Polar Bears?

Here are 5 simple steps to get you started–

1. Adopt A More Eco-friendly Lifestyle

This is one of the simplest things you can do to help  save polar bears. In the winter, lower your heater a little, walk instead of driving, and use public transportation as often as feasible. Limiting the quantity of fuels released into the atmosphere will not assist to minimize pollution or climate change, which will have an impact on bear habitats.

2.  Recycle Recycle Recycle 

We're all guilty of this; sometimes it's simply easier to toss your plastic bottle or can in the ordinary garbage and forget about it. Well, a lot of that rubbish gets dumped, which can have serious consequences for our ecosystem. So next time you're looking to throw out a bottle or can maybe just hold on to it until there i