WWF - News and publications about polar bears

New WWF web tool maps Arctic nature and activities

2013-05-13

As Arctic Council Ministers prepare to meet to outline priorities for the Council's next two years, WWF has released a mapping tool to help inform those priorities.

See the map at arkgis.org

The web-based map synthesises the latest Arctic research and helps answer questions such as where Arctic oil activity clashes with valuable biodiversity, and how the melting of the polar ice cap has influenced shipping routes.

By releasing a new web tool mapping both nature and activities, WWF hopes to be able to make relevant information universally available – in a very visible manner. "Arctic nature and peoples desperately need environmentally sustainable management practices. A well informed and active public can help push for such practices, and these maps can help in supplying that information. Everywhere in the world, good maps are preconditions for sound management and informed public debate about natural values and human activities," says Nina Jensen, CEO of WWF Norway.

The ArkGIS is a web based mapping system, allowing anyone to produce their own maps showing natural resources and updated overviews of activities like shipping or oil drilling. It allows any user to download pre-made maps and videos, as well as developing customized maps on their own, using an interactive map service. "One of the strengths of this tool is that both natural values and developments that may interfere with those values can be made visible on the same maps. Another strength is that we have comprehensive information covering the entire Arctic region – available for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection," says Lars Erik Mangset, WWF project lead for ArkGIS.

ArkGIS is a project initiated and managed by WWF, but it brings together data from a host of information providers, including several Arctic Council working groups, the Institute of Marine Research, and the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Map layers to date include 368 identified areas of heightened ecological significance, and Arctic ship traffic, ice coverage, and bathymetry. ArkGIS can be accessed at www.arkgis.org.

For more information, contact:
Lars Erik Mangset, WWF Norway
+ 47 – 93 20 94 94 email: lemangset@wwf.no

Martin Sommerkorn, WWF Global Arctic Program
+47 – 92 60 69 95 email: msommerkorn@wwf.no

Visit our website at panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Increasing bear/human conflict needs government intervention, say experts

2013-03-01

Hungry, climate-stressed polar bears are increasingly coming into conflict with people in some regions -- and nations will need to work together to fund and implement ways to keep both bears and people safe.

That's the conclusion of more than 30 leading polar bear experts from throughout the Arctic, who met this week at a WWF-organized polar bear/human conflict workshop in Tromsø, Norway.

"Polar bears have the capacity to surprise, and we still know relatively little about dealing with polar bear conflict", said workshop participant Doug Clark of the University of Saskatchewan.

Participants agreed the polar bear range states -- Canada, Norway, Greenland, Russia and the United States -- should cooperate to fund, monitor and share conflict reduction measures.

"We have an opportunity to develop plans and programs on the ground and across the Arctic ahead of anticipated increases in conflict situations," says Geoff York, WWF lead on polar bears. "As sea ice habitat continues to decline, more bears will spend longer periods of time onshore and human activities are also projected to increase in the area, setting the stage for trouble in the years ahead."

Participants shared conflict prevention ideas from around the pole, including:

Polar bear patrols engaging local people to help keep bears away from communities
Keeping attractants - trash, food - away from settled areas
Education on safety measures for living and working around polar bears
Deterrent effectiveness and application, like bear spray, non-lethal projectiles and new technologies
Physical barriers, like electric and fixed fences, and secure food storage
Behavioral approaches to better understand both bear and human dimensions, or to help make bears averse to humans
Deterring, relocating, or destroying problem bears.

The Range States polar bear conflict working group, also in attendance, plan to unveil a new data tracking system and draft conflict plan at the the next Polar Bear Range States meeting in Moscow this fall.

WWF recognizes 2013 as the Year of the Polar Bear, and is encouraging the range states to make firm commitments to polar bear conservation at the Moscow meeting.

The Tromsø meeting was partly funded by the joint WWF-Coca-Cola "Arctic Home" campaign.

For more information, contact:
Geoff York, WWF polar bear lead
Email
Mobile (+1) 613 299 2784

Clive Tesar, Head of communications, WWF Global Arctic Programme
Email
Mobile (+1) 613 883 3110

Visit our website at www.panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Safer communities, safer bears – workshop on reducing conflict between polar bears and humans

2013-02-12

Leading polar bear experts from throughout the Arctic will convene at a WWF-organized workshop in Tromsø to exchange knowledge and experiences in order to reduce the level of conflict between bears and humans. The three-day workshop will take place on 26th-28th February in the High North Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research.

Many remember the tragedy in 2011 when a 17-year-old British boy was killed and four others were seriously injured when a bear attacked a group on Svalbard. The bear also died as a result of th4e encounter. Unfortunately, conditions are increasingly facilitating the risk of such events, says WWF Norway's advisor for Arctic and northern regions, Nils Harley Boisen.

As a result of continuing loss of their preferred sea-ice habitat, it is expected that polar bears will spend more time on land. Here they are exposed to both nutritional stress and increasing human activity in the Arctic coastal areas. More people and more polar bears will likely be using the same coastal areas resulting in greater interaction between bears and humans.

To date, polar bear attacks occur rarely, but figures show a general trend toward more polar bear deaths due to people using guns to defend themselves from perceived threats.

But there are some bright spots – in the past year, a project in the Canadian community of Arviat helped bring defensive kills of polar bears from several each year to none. Similar projects in the Russian far northeast have also helped reduce conflict deaths and damages.

Workshop participants are coming from a variety of backgrounds: polar bear management, research, polar tourism, and representatives of local populations. The main findings of the workshop will be presented in a report, which will include specific recommendations for best management of polar bears in connection with minimization of conflict level, with special relevance for Svalbard, Norway.

We encourage anyone with experience in polar bear conflict issues to attend as an observer. Registration as an observer to the workshop is open until February 21st. Inquiries and questions should be addressed to

Nils Harley Boisen
WWF-Norway advisor for Arctic and northern regions
e-mail: nboisen@wwf.no
Telephone: + 47 980 82 101 (Oslo Time zone GMT+1)

What WWF is doing for polar bears

2013-02-12

WWF has been a conservation presence in the Arctic for nearly 40 years and has created a strong voice for the conservation of biodiversity, protected areas, wildlife and and the well-being of local and Indigenous peoples. WWF is actively engaged in ongoing work in all of the Arctic countries, with offices in every country where polar bears are found, including in Arctic communities. WWF has permanent observer status in the Arctic Council, a coordinating body for work on the environment and sustainable development involving Arctic states and Indigenous peoples.

New research to inform good management of key polar bear populations

2013-02-11

OTTAWA – New financial contributions from WWF in support of polar bear research are improving the knowledge of key polar bear populations. The contributions were made possible by the WWF/Coca-Cola Company Arctic Home campaign. Research projects are underway across the Canadian Arctic to update information about the status of polar bears in Baffin Bay/Kane Basin and Viscount Melville Sound.

WWF is working with regional governments to support the gathering of up-to-date population information necessary for effective conservation of polar bears. Polar bears have great cultural, spiritual and economic significance to Inuit. The current population surveys are an important part of the basis for sustainable management of the populations to ensure long-term health.

WWF contributed just under $200,000 altogether to the surveys. Results from the surveys will be completed and shared beginning in April 2013.

"Knowing more about these high arctic polar bear populations is critical to our work in conservation," says Clive Tesar, head of WWF's Last Ice Area project. "These populations are in the area where resilient summer sea ice is predicted to persist the longest. Knowing the current numbers and distribution of polar bears there provides valuable baseline information for the future when summer ice around the rest of the Arctic is projected to dramatically recede. "

"We are proud to help support regional Canadian governments in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the polar bear. For a sustainable future, business, government and civil organizations like WWF have to work together. We are pleased to have made this contribution to the continued health of polar bear populations while respecting the traditional cultural rights of the Inuit," says Nicola Kettlitz, President of Coca-Cola Ltd. "Our Company is committed to continuing to support this work to maintaining a sustainable Arctic Home for both polar bears and people."

There are 13 subpopulations in Canada: one is shared with the United States and three are shared with Greenland. Polar bear subpopulations in Canada are surveyed according to provincial and territorial inventory schedules and are based on priority-need and the time elapsed since the last inventory.
WWF is currently celebrating Year of the Polar Bear, marking 40 years of polar bear conservation leadership from polar bear range states.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

For more on WWF's Arctic work: www.panda.org/arctic
For more on the Last Ice Area project: www.lasticearea.org

For more information, please contact:
Clive Tesar
WWF Last Ice Area project lead
Email
(+1) 613-232-2535

Year of the Polar Bear kicks off with Ottawa scavenger hunt

2013-02-02

WWF is kicking off its "Year of the Polar Bear" at Winterlude, Ottawa's winter carnival, with an innovative scavenger hunt. Inspired by WWF-supported projects to track polar bears by satellite, five small ice sculptures of polar bears are hidden around the city, each representing one of the five countries where polar bears are normally found - Canada, Norway, Russia, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States.

Visitors using smartphones can "tag" the small ice sculptures on the Icebear Tracker site at panda.org/icebear. With each successful tag, participants learn more about these Arctic icons. People who find all five are eligible to win fun prizes, such as lunch with a polar bear biologist.

"GPS technology allows researchers to study where polar bears go and how they behave - which in turn helps improve sustainable management of the species." says Geoff York, WWF's polar bear specialist. "The Icebear Tracker uses the same technology - we hope it will be a fun way to learn about and celebrate polar bear conservation."

The Year of the Polar Bear is WWF's recognition of forty years of international efforts to secure a future for the bears, and a look ahead to the challenges of the next forty years. 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, a circumpolar effort that brought polar bear populations back from a worrisome decline. Today, however, a rapidly warming Arctic means the sea ice upon which the bears depend is shrinking. WWF is working with partners across the Arctic to combat threats to the region and to preserve its rich biodiversity to the benefit of local peoples and the global community.

Learn more

WWF thanks the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ottawa and Environment Canada for their contributions to this project.

Inuit community and WWF successfully curb polar bear conflict

2013-01-31

Arviat, Nunavut – A successful program to stop conflict between polar bears and people in the Hudson Bay community of Arviat in Canada has resulted in no bears being killed to protect the community in the past year. This is the first time in three years that no bears have had to be killed. The WWF-Hamlet of Arviat Human-Polar Bear Conflict Reduction Project has run for the past 2 years and will run again next year. The project is part of an international effort by WWF to reduce conflict between people and bears, conflict that can result in injury or death.

"In recent years, the community of Arviat has reported more and more polar bears near the town," said Ed Murphy, Senior Administrative Officer for Arviat. "Reasons for this are unclear, but likely include climate related changes in sea ice habitat patterns forcing more bears to stay along the coast, and increases in Arviat's population creating more bear attractants, including garbage at the dump. The community is increasingly concerned with the threat polar bears pose not just to property, but also to children and sled dogs."

The project allowed the Hamlet to hire a polar bear monitor to patrol and discourage bears from entering the community from October through December, the three-month period with the most bear activity in the region. The Hamlet also provided steel bins for storing food, and installed electric deterrent fences around several of the community's dog team pens.

"This project directly protects the community and the polar bear population, as well as increases community awareness of the situation," said Bob Leonard, Mayor of Arviat. With ongoing support, we can hopefully continue to reduce conflict between people and polar bears in Arviat, and promote the harmonious and mutually dependent relationship with nature that the people of Arviat value so highly."

The WWF-Hamlet of Arviat Human-Polar Bear Conflict Reduction Project was generously supported by donations from Coca-Cola Canada and other funders, as well as the Government of Nunavut.

About the Hamlet of Arviat
Arviat is a community of approximately 2,800 people, located on the west coast of Hudson's Bay, 90 kilometres north of the treeline and about 250 kilometres north of Churchill, Manitoba, The second-largest community in Nunavut, Arviat has strong ties to the land, and its predominantly Inuit population has retained much of their traditional culture and language. www.arviat.ca

About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. www.wwf.ca

For more information, please contact:
Keith Collier
Community Economic Development Officer
Arviat, NU
(867) 857-2941
arviatcedo@qiniq.com

Pete Ewins
Senior Officer, Species
Arctic Program, WWF-Canada
(416) 484-7711
pewins@wwfcanada.org

Riannon John
Communications Specialist, WWF-Canada
(416) 347-1894
rjohn@wwfcanada.org

WWF Celebrates the Year of the Polar Bear

2013-01-15

WWF, the world's leading conservation organization, is proclaiming 2013 The Year of the Polar Bear.

"This is a key year for polar bears," says Geoff York, WWF's international lead on polar bears. "While polar bears and their Arctic home face a challenging future, we need to recognize, and celebrate, the conservation achievements to date."

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears - a concerted international action to protect this magnificent species and its habitat. Due in large part to the Agreement and efforts by the five polar bear range states - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States - polar bears still roam much of their historic range and occur in relatively large numbers today.
At the same time, the bears stand on the brink of an uncertain future. A rapidly warming Arctic means the sea ice upon which the bears depend is projected to dramatically shrink over the next several decades due to climate change.

It's time for the range states to prepare for the new challenges ahead, says York. "The range states have an opportunity in 2013 to repeat the successes of the past 40 years. By committing to habitat protection, addressing climate change, managing harvest, mitigating Arctic industrial development and funding polar bear research, these countries can ensure polar bear populations remain healthy for the next 40 years and beyond."

Over the course of the year, WWF will support polar bear research projects around the Arctic and encourage firm conservation commitments at this autumn's pivotal meeting of the range states.

WWF works to protect critical habitat for polar bears, including important movement corridors and denning habitats, and to prevent or remove additional stressors from industrial activity such as oil and gas development and arctic shipping. WWF also supports community involvement in conservation and management and monitors the setting of harvest levels by the responsible authorities.

Learn more
http://panda.org/polarbearyear

More information
Sue Novotny
Communications Officer, WWF Global Arctic Programme
O:1.613.232.2508
M:1.613.406.0812
Email

About WWF's Global Arctic Programme
WWF is working with its many partners – governments, business and communities – across the Arctic to combat these threats and preserve the region's rich biodiversity. The WWF Global Arctic Programme has coordinated WWF's work in the Arctic since 1992. We work through offices in six Arctic countries, with experts in circumpolar issues like governance, climate change, fisheries, oil and gas and polar bears.
http://panda.org/arctic

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
www.panda.org

Canadian polar bear pride can drive positive change at home and in the north

2013-01-14

Polar bear pride runs strong and free from coast-to-coast in Canada. According to a recent poll by Coca-Cola Canada, 61 per cent of Canadians consider the polar bear to be a symbol of national pride. To help make a positive impact on this important northern species, Coca-Cola Canada is once again joining with WWF to make #everyactionmatter.

For the second year, Coca-Cola Canada and WWF Canada are teaming up to support Arctic Home, a five year commitment focused on conserving polar bears and their habitat. As part of this effort, WWF is working with Northern peoples to develop a plan for the Last Ice Area, an area of summer sea ice high in the Arctic that is expected to be the most resilient as the Arctic warms. The Last Ice Area could cover close to 1.4 million square kilometers – twice the size of Manitoba. With strong conservation planning, the region can offer both polar bears and local communities a healthy future.

"We are proud to continue our commitment to Arctic Home and build on the success of last year's campaign to support the Last Ice Area," said Nicola Kettlitz, President of Coca-Cola Ltd. "We want Canadians to know that every action matters when it comes to climate change, and that by working together we can ensure there is a place where polar bears and Northern communities will thrive for generations to come."

In addition to the $2 million Coca-Cola has committed over the next five years to polar bear conservation, 5 per cent of the proceeds from specially marked 12- and 15-packs in Canada, up to $235,000, will be donated to Arctic Home. This investment will continue to help advance research and build relationships to understand the impacts of climate change on Arctic habitats.

Arctic Home Funds at Work
Since launching the campaign in October 2011, WWF has invested more than $2 million into conservation programs and research, such as surveying polar bear population sizes and trends, mapping polar bear denning sites and better understanding the sea-ice ecosystem. Funding is also being used to refine modeling processes to help predict future ice conditions, organize workshops with local communities and governments, and generate more support and awareness for conservation.

WWF's work in the Arctic seeks to combine local traditional knowledge with new science and research. Arctic Home will help advance WWF's vision for an Arctic with stable ecosystems, viable populations of wildlife and a sustainable use of natural resources.

"Coca-Cola Canada and WWF's partnership is about working together to conserve one of the most important places on our planet," said Martin von Mirbach, Director, Arctic Program, WWF-Canada. "The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average, but with the support of Coca-Cola and Canadians, the Last Ice Area can help chart a future for sustainable northern communities and ecosystems."

Show Your Polar Bear Pride
The combined donations of Coca-Cola Canada and Canadians in the first year of Arctic Home proved that change can happen when everyone works together. For year two, Canadians can visit www.livepositively.ca/ArcticHome between January 14 and March 31 to pledge their support to make changes in their daily lives that can inspire and incite collective action. From committing to wash laundry in cold water to taking public transit to work at least one day a week, the whole family can get involved and take a stand for the polar bears' home.

The Arctic Home website will be a portal to learn more about the polar bear and the Last Ice Area. Visitors can find information about the Coca-Cola Canada / WWF Canada partnership and local events, share content, make a pledge to take action, see what other Canadians are doing and donate directly to the effort.

The Arctic Home program extends The Coca-Cola Company's support of WWF's polar bear conservation efforts, and builds upon the two organizations' global freshwater conservation partnership. Together, the Company and WWF have worked to conserve freshwater resources around the world, use water more efficiently and cut down carbon emissions in the Company's manufacturing operations. Joining WWF's Climate Savers program in 2008, Coca Cola's global commitment will prevent the release of more than 2 million metric tons of CO2 in 2015 – the equivalent of planting 600,000 acres of trees. Additionally, the broader partnership works to promote sustainable agriculture in the Company's supply chain. By combining international strengths and resources, the Company and WWF are able to go beyond what each organization could achieve on its own.

Arctic Home is another expression of The Coca-Cola Company's commitment to make a positive difference in the world through sustainable business practices. For more information, visit www.livepositively.ca/ArcticHome.

About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. www.wwf.ca

About Coca-Cola Canada
Coca-Cola in Canada operates in all ten provinces, and employs 6,300 people in more than 50 facilities, including seven production facilities across Canada. We offer a wide variety of beverage brands, many of which come in no-calorie and low-calorie options. These beverages include sparkling soft drinks, still waters, juices and fruit beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. We're proud to offer some of the most popular brands in Canada including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coca-Cola Zero®, Sprite®, Fanta®, Nestea®, PowerAde®, Minute Maid®, Dasani® and vitaminwater®. Coca-Cola in Canada is represented by Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada and Coca-Cola Ltd. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.livepositively.ca or www.cocacola.ca.

Survey Methodology
The survey was completed online from December 4th to December 6th, 2012 using Leger Marketing's online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1,500 Canadians, 18 years of age or older. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Jordana Wolch or Anne Locke
Environics Communications
416-969-2666 or 416-969-2714
jwolch@environicspr.com or alocke@environicspr.com

Shannon Denny
Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada
(416) 424-6373
sdenny@coca-cola.com

Riannon John
WWF
416-347-1894
rjohn@wwfcanada.org

Polar Bear factsheet

2012-12-12

Download the factsheet

Wildlife trade experts say climate, not commercial trade, is primary threat to polar bears

2012-10-29

A new report from the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC concludes that the major threat to polar bears is not international commercial trade, but habitat loss due the rapid melting of their preferred sea ice habitat.

"Icon on Ice: International Trade and Management of Polar Bears" gathers the best available information on the legal market for polar bear skins and other parts, and has been peer reviewed by international experts.

Download the report

"The retreat of sea-ice habitat, driven by runaway global climate change, is by far the leading threat to polar bears", says WWF polar bear specialist Geoff York. "The most urgent need for polar bear conservation at this time is an effective and strong climate change deal that keeps global average temperature increases under 2 degrees C and sets a clear path towards an equitable and sustainable low carbon economy."

Countries with polar bear populations are committed by international treaty to conserve polar bears and protect their habitat, and have identified climate change as the primary threat to address.

The TRAFFIC report makes recommendations to ensure trade remains sustainable, including better monitoring of polar bear populations, and improvements in trade data reporting and tracking, education, and enforcement to prevent illegal trade and poaching.

Disappearing polar bear dens on Svalbard

2012-07-16

Svalbard, Norway - In what was historically a prime spot for polar bears to build dens and give birth, researchers are finding far fewer dens -- and changes in sea ice are responsible.

In research supported by WWF, scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) found that the number of dens on Kongsøya, a particularly important denning area in Norway's Svalbard islands, has fallen sharply in the past few years.

Three years ago, winter sea ice arrived at Kongsøya in mid-October, and researchers found 25 dens. But this year, the ice didn't come until early December -- and the dens numbered only five.

Female bears can travel vast distances across the ice from their hunting grounds to mountain slopes to find a perfect denning spot. When sea ice appears by early November, says NPI researcher Jon Aars, most bears will succeed.

"In years when sea ice appears late, bears may have trouble getting there in time."

A similar reduction in dens was found in a study on Hopen Island, to the south.

The full impact of later ice arrival on polar bear denning isn't yet clear, says Aars. Bears that can't reach Hopen or Kongsøya could be waiting a year to raise cubs, or just finding an alternative place to den.

NPI is monitoring a number of Svalbard polar bears with radio collars. This data will help the researchers understand the potential cost of sea ice changes, from added energy expenditure to disruption of the bears' timing and success in raising cubs.

A win for polar bears in Coke's most successful campaign ever

2012-03-16

Polar bears are disappearing from Coca-Cola cans, but real bears are more likely to stick around, thanks to the wildly successful Arctic Home campaign.

Arctic Home, a partnership between WWF and Coke, turned the company's familiar polar bear marketing campaign into a boon for the bears. Polar bears adorned every Coke can in North America during fall and winter 2012, encouraging the public to make a donation that would be matched dollar-for-dollar. A spokesman for Coca-Cola Canada called Arctic Home the most successful campaign they've ever done.

In just 5 months, Arctic Home raised nearly 2 million dollars for polar bear conservation. In addition to the financial support, millions of people in Canada and the US heard our message about the threats to polar bears and their habitat.

Speaking with Canada's Metro Media, WWF's Geoff York said the money "gives us the chance to fill in the knowledge gap." The remote location and extreme weather in the polar bear's arctic habitat makes research challenging and expensive. These funds will allow WWF to support research, and work with Inuit and other northern communities to learn more about the bears.

The funds raised by Arctic Home support WWF's polar bear conservation work around the world, including a project to chart a future for the area of Arctic sea ice likely to persist the longest: the Last Ice Area.

The campaign will run again next year in North America, and may expand to other markets.

Melting ice linked to polar bear cub mortality as moms swim farther

2011-07-20

Study represents the first empirical research to find a significant, increasing trend in polar bear long-distance swimming

Sea ice loss from climate change is causing polar bears to swim longer distances to find stable ice or to reach land, resulting in greater risk to their cubs, according to a new paper co-authored by a WWF expert.

"Climate change is pulling the sea ice out from under polar bears' feet, forcing some to swim longer distances to find food and habitat," said Geoff York, WWF Polar Bear Expert who is an author of the study.

"This research is the first analysis to identify a significant multi-year trend of increased long-distance swimming by polar bears. Prior research had only reported on single incidents," said York.

U.S. Geological Survey biologist and lead author Anthony Pagano will present the study ("Long-distance swimming events by adult female polar bears in the southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas") on July 19 at the International Bear Association (IBA) Conference held in Ottawa, Canada.

Between 2004 and 2009 researchers collected data from 68 GPS collars deployed on adult female polar bears, in combination with satellite imagery of sea ice, to identify incidences of bears swimming more than 30 miles at a time. Researchers identified 50 long-distance swimming events during the six year period involving 20 polar bears. Swimming events ranged in distance up to 426 miles and in duration up to 12.7 days.

Eleven of the polar bears that swam long distances had young cubs at the time of collar deployment; five of those bears lost their cubs during swimming -- a 45% morality rate. In contrast, only 18% of cubs died that were not compelled to swim long distances with their mother.

New book celebrates the natural history of polar bears

2011-06-07

A new book by well-known polar bear scientist, arctic ecologist and long-time WWF advisor, Dr Ian Stirling, compresses the major discoveries of the last 40 years of research on polar bears into a comprehensive book about the ecology and natural history of polar bears.

The book, 'Polar Bears, a Natural History of a Threatened Species', explains how polar bears evolved, how researchers study them, aspects of their behaviour, how they prey and live on marine mammals for their survival, how seals and bears have evolved in response to each other, and how, specifically, they have come to threatened by global warming.

In a separate chapter, Dr Stirling also explains why the polar bears in Hudson Bay, Canada, have become so important to our understanding of the species, and how Churchill, Manitoba, became 'the Polar Bear Capital of the World'.

Monte Hummel, President Emeritus of WWF Canada, was full of praise for the book. He said: "For over thirty years now, whenever there is debate over polar bears, I have turned to Ian Stirling not just for definitive facts and figures, but for genuine wisdom and perspective. To work with Ian in the field is to experience a man entirely at home in the arctic environment, not unlike the bears he knows so well."

Dr Thor S. Larsen, founding member of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group and formerly of the Norwegian Polar Institute, said this is the best book ever to be written about polar bears: "We are blessed with the opportunity to benefit from Ian Stirling's extensive knowledge and life-long experience with this magnificent animal.

"He shows us that the far North is not a barren and hostile environment, but unique and beautiful. The new knowledge presented in this book is crucial for conservation and management of Arctic nature and its polar bears."

Robert Buchanan, president of Polar Bears International, said: "Ian Stirling's groundbreaking studies of polar bears laid much of the foundation for both current research on the species and our present day understanding of them.

"No one can now look at these highly intelligent, threatened creatures without worrying about a world that could cause their possible extinction - and wondering how we have allowed it to come to this point. We must take action. As this book clearly illustrates, their loss would be our loss as well."

For more information about the book, visit the publishers page.

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Observing polar bears and their cubs: WWF on ABC's Nightline

2011-05-10

WWF-Canada's Senior Species Officer, Dr Peter Ewins, appeared last week on ABC Nightline's Into the Wild series, when they featured the polar bear maternity denning habitat of Wapusk National Park in Canada in a segment called Newborn polar pears - a rare glimpse.

The segment showed beautiful footage of some very small and cute polar bear cubs and their mother emerging from their maternity den, plus interviews with Pete Ewins and other polar bear experts who were working in Wapusk National Park on a field trip, observing denning polar bears.

Watch the video below:

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Be part of a global community of activists ready to take simple online actions that can help save wildlife and people. Sign up today!

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Study predicts climate change impacts on polar bear litter size

2011-02-09

A new study, published in the Nature Communications journal, has predicted decreases in polar bear litter size due to loss of sea ice. The study reports that if sea ice in the west Hudson Bay decreases as anticipated, failure to reproduce could jeopardise polar bear population viability.

When little food is available, polar bears are known to rely on stores of energy for survival and reproduction. The reliance on energy stores in pregnant females however, limits the survival rates of their cubs. Using data obtainable under current conditions, the authors show 28% of pregnant females failed to reproduce due to energetic reasons during the 1990's.

They then use predictive modelling to suggest that 40-73% of pregnant females could fail to reproduce in the same way if spring sea ice break-up occurs 1 month earlier than during the 1990's and 55-100% if break-up occurs 2 months earlier.

The authors suggest that their finding may also apply to populations outside the western Hudson Bay area, however they caution that the expected time-line for declines in litter size may vary with different climate models' predictions about sea ice loss.

Read the full article in the Nature Communications online journal.

First evidence of polar bears swimming long distance: study

2011-01-27

Researchers from the US Geological Survey have documented the first evidence of long distance swimming by polar bears, according to a BBC Earth News report.

The scientists, who are studying bears around the Beaufort sea, north of Alaska, recorded a polar bear swimming for more nine days and covering a distance of 687km (426 miles). Their findings were published in the Polar Biology journal.

While polar bears are known to swim between land and sea ice floes to hunt seals, the researchers say that increased sea ice melts push polar bears to swim greater distances, risking their own health and future generations.

Read the full story on the BBC Earth News website.

WWF applauds creation of Chukotkan nature reserve

2010-12-22

WWF Russia has welcomed the news that a new nature reserve has been established in Chukotka to help conserve the unique coastal ecosystem of the Chukchi Sea and its walrus and polar bear populations.

The protected area was declared on December 13, when Roman Kopin, the Governor of Chukotka, signed a decree to establish the nature reserve.

For the past several years WWF-Russia, the Marine Mammal Council, and local residents in the area have worked to preserve the pacific walrus and polar bears in the area of Cape Kozhevnikov. Part of this work involved the creation of the Umky Patrol, or Polar Bear Patrol, which is affiliated with WWF Russia and monitors polar bear populations along the Russian coastline, among other things.

Over a period of four consecutive years, the Chukotka area has hosted some of the biggest coastal walrus haulouts in the world, with more than 50,000 walrus coming ashore at once. Cape Kozhevnikov is also an important place for polar bears. Pregnant polar bear females occasionally make maternity dens on the cape, and in the autumn and winter bears often stay there, scavenging for food.

Find out more on the Marine Mammal Council website (English and Russian).

WWF applauds new Alaskan polar bear habitat

2010-11-30

The US government has announced that 484,000 square kilometres of sea ice, islands, and coastline considered important to polar bears is now designated critical habitat in Alaska.

The designation does not create parks or refuges, but it does mean that federally regulated activities on designated land get an extra level of review.

"This will not do all that is necessary to protect the bears, but it is part of the solution" says WWF polar bear specialist Geoff York. "It would be good to see other polar bear range states take similar action."

A US government release lays out what the designation means to in terms of oil and gas exploration:

"Section 7 of the ESA [Endangered Species Act] requires federal agencies to ensure that the activities they authorize, fund or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or to destroy or adversely modify its critical habitat. If a federal action may affect the polar bear or its critical habitat, the permitting or action agency must enter into consultation with the Service.

"Consultation is a process through which Federal agencies and the Service jointly work to identify potential impacts on listed species and their habitats, and identify ways to implement these actions consistent with species conservation. This applies to oil and gas development activities, as well as any other activity within the range of the polar bear that may have an adverse affect on the species."

"As some of the habitat now designated is in areas of interest to oil and gas companies, it will be interesting to see how well this consultation process works," says York.

"We know that a chance of a blowout will always exist, and we know that current management processes, technology, and response capacity fall short of being able to effectively contain a spill in Arctic waters."

The designation of the habitat also does not address the largest threat to the species – climate change.

"We urge the US and all polar bear Range States to incorporate climate change scenarios into their long term planning," says York.

"The Arctic is changing fast and we need to look ahead and make sure polar bears and other sea ice dependent species have a place of refuge as the sea ice, their most important habitat, melts away."