Polar Bears in Svalbard and Melting Sea Ice
The Polar Bear or Ursus maritimus is facing a range of challenges as air temperatures in the Arctic Region are rising 2 – 2.5 times faster than the global average. There are thought to be between 22,000-27,000 Polar Bears in 20 separate populations across the World. In the arctic, where perennial sea ice is disappearing at a rate of nearly 9% per decade, the Polar Bears who rely on it for hunting, shelter and breeding are being put at huge risk as their habitat is destroyed.
Year: 2011