Acknowledging International Polar Bear Day

It’s February 27th, meaning it’s International Polar Bear Day! You may be wondering, what exactly is International Polar Bear Day? Every year on this day, International Polar Bear Day aims to raise awareness for the issues that polar bears face. It is a day when we collectively find ways to reduce our carbon footprint to minimize the effects related to global warming.

 The end of February was chosen explicitly to coincide with the time when polar bear moms and their cubs snug in their den. Over the past few decades, sea ice in the Arctic has been melting at an increasing rate, causing the polar ice cap to shrink over time. This has continued to make it difficult for polar bears to survive since the arctic sea ice is their habitat.

There are many ways to get involved and make a difference this #InternationalPolarBearDay. We’ve created this map outlining the polar bear subpopulation trends worldwide. As you can tell, the southern subpopulations are most at risk, likely due to human contact and global warming. We hope this can educate you further and inspire you to take action!

A great way to observe International Polar Bear Day is to tune into PBI’s live events, such as educational broadcasts and special film screenings. Polar Bear International raises funds to develop a tool that finds and maps out polar bear den locations. You can share the information you learn with others and help spread the word!

With climate change proving to be one of the biggest threats to humans and animals everywhere,  International Polar Bear Day is another reason we should be committing to finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Spread the word and devise solutions with your family and friends to reduce your carbon footprint. Some simple ways to do this are using public transit, biking more, or buying items from environmentally friendly companies.

Consider donating money to Polar Bear International to help fund research for polar bears and their conservation. We can all continue to do our part to help protect these vulnerable, at-risk animals and ensure they thrive in the best way possible.

Many organizations use International Polar Bear Day to raise awareness of the declining number of polar bears worldwide and work towards finding solutions to help keep polar bears safe. We can gather together, spread our knowledge, and make it possible to help these amazing creatures. How will you get involved today? Use the hashtag #InternationalPolarBearDay and share how you plan to learn!