Polar bears are one of the worlds most majestic, beautiful, and crucial animals of the food chain. They descend from the Kodiak Brown Bears of southwest Antarctica and help keep the food chain of Antarctica and other snowy destinations alive. But because of climate change and the loss of their sea-ice habitat, polar bears are towards the top of the Endangered Species Act. So, a non-profit organization called Polar Bears International created International Polar Bear day on February 27th of each year. This day was created to spread awareness and conservation of polar bears all around the world.

Polar Bears International strives to help conserve polar bears and the ice they live on. They do this by having a strong social media, dedicated advocates, and vigorous scientists. They work to protect the future of the bears and inspire others through their work. They also try and connect the remote world of the arctic to the outside world. This organization originated in 1994 with the simple goal of wanting to make humans more aware of the dangers of harming the ecosystem. But through their hard work and dedication to polar bears around the world, they created International Polar Bear Day!

Every February 27th, people are encouraged to do as much as they can to help save the polar bears! This can be as simple as reducing your carbon output by driving less and turning down your thermostat for a few hours. People are also encouraged to donate to causes such as Polar Bears International to help continue the research and work organizations like this do to help save these beautiful creatures. One way to donate to these causes is by adopting a polar bear. There are a lot of donation options when adopting a polar bear. The first option is deciding where to donate/adopt from. I recommend picking a reliable and well-known site. This way, you know that your money is going directly to helping the polar bears. Sites such as the World Wildlife Foundation and Polar Bears International are sites you know will take your money and save the bears. The second step is choosing which adoption kit you would like to purchase. Prices ranges from $30 up to $250. Most kits include a polar bear plush, an adoption certificate, a species card all about polar bears, and a photo of a polar bear your money is helping to keep alive. Pricier kits include larger plush animals and gift bags/boxes.

I encourage everyone to take a look into these magnificent creatures and what they really bring to this earth. The World Conservation Union predicts that there are only about 20,000-25,000 polar bears left in the whole world. Thats 25,000 lives for us try and save. Let’s take the leap and give these animals all we have to offer!

Fun Facts:

• Polar bears are actually classified as marine animals because they spend most of their time in the freezing cold Arctic Ocean. They are also the only species of bear to be considered a marine animal.
• Polar bears are actually black! The fur of a polar bear is translucent and only appears white because it reflects visible light. Beneath their translucent fur, the skin of a polar bear is jet black.
• Polar bears clean themselves by rolling in the snow!
• When the bears are not hunting, they end up sleeping for about 20 hours a day! Imagine getting sleep like that!
• On the bottom of every polar bears, there is stiff fur that help keep the bears from slipping. This fur also helps muffle the sound when the bears are approaching their prey.