- Polar bears help us gain an understanding of what is happening throughout the Arctic, as a polar bear at risk may signal something is wrong elsewhere in the arctic marine ecosystem.
- Large carnivores - those that are at the apex or top of the food chain - are particularly sensitive indicators of the health of an ecosystem... in this case, the Arctic.
Polar bears
Majestic creature of the far north, the polar bear is the world's largest terrestrial carnivore.
Its Latin name, Ursus maritimus, means 'sea bear', an apt name for this amazing species which spends much of its life in, around, or on the water - predominantly on the sea ice.
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scientific name
Ursus maritimus
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weight
352 - 680 kg
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length
2 - 3 m
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population
20-25,000 polar bears worldwide
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status
vulnerable
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© WWF / Geoff York
A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and her cubs
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© iStockPhoto / Derek Dammann
Close up of polar bear's claws (possibly taken in a zoo)
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© Jon Aars / Norwegian Polar Institute / WWF-Canon
A close up of a Polar bear's dark skin and fair hair. Svalbard, ...
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© iStockPhoto / Karel Delvoye
Polar bear with seal carcass.
Polar bear news
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A win for polar bears in Coke’s most successful campaign ever
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.
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Melting ice linked to polar bear cub mortality as moms swim farther
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 ...
Why is the polar bear so important?
Polar bears and sea ice
Polar bears are excellent swimmers, but their preferred habitat is on top of the ice that covers the arctic seas much of the year. That is where they mate, hunt and rear their young.
By 2040, the summer sea ice could be reduced to a small fringe on the northern coasts of Canada and Greenland. This is the Last Ice Area.
Learn more about the Last Ice Area
By 2040, the summer sea ice could be reduced to a small fringe on the northern coasts of Canada and Greenland. This is the Last Ice Area.
Learn more about the Last Ice Area
What WWF is doing for polar bears
- Negotiating with governments, industry, and individuals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
- Promoting sustainable tourism
- Protecting habitat critical to the bears' movement and reproduction
- Preventing or removing direct threats from industrial activity, like oil and gas development and arctic shipping.
- Engaging with indigenous and local communities to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and work towards sustainable development opportunities
- Funding field research by the world's foremost experts on polar bears to find out how global warming will affect the long-term condition of polar bear.
- Spearheading management solutions that address the major threats of climate change and industrialisation of the Arctic.
We get results!
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WWF applauds creation of Chukotkan nature reserve
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 ...
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WWF applauds new Alaskan polar bear habitat
The US government has announced that 484,000 square kilometres of sea ice, islands, and coastline considered important to polar bears is now ...
