Polar bears digging through trash cans... Survival crisis due to climate change [Climate crisis now]

Two male polar bears captured in Churchill. [Photo = Elisabeth Kruger/ WWF]



Due to climate change caused by global warming, the Arctic sea ice (sea ice) is melting rapidly. In this situation, polar bears are in danger. There are many cases where they come down to urban areas where people live due to lack of food. Their survival is at risk.



WWF (World Wildlife Fund) released a video and related photo materials to highlight the reality of polar bears losing their habitat due to climate change and to raise awareness of the need for conservation on International Polar Bear Day (February 27).



International Polar Bear Day was created in 2006 to raise awareness of polar bears, which are endangered due to global warming, and the environmental problems they face.



A polar bear swimming in the Arctic Ocean. It was found that they swim longer because their food sources are not sufficient. [Photo = Shutterstock/ Le cinquieme reve/ WWF]



The scientific name for the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) means 'bear of the sea.' It is the largest carnivore on earth and the top predator in the food chain. The polar bear's habitat is threatened as the glaciers and sea ice in the Arctic are rapidly shrinking due to rapid climate change.



It is estimated that the total ice volume in the Arctic has decreased by more than 50% over the past 20 years. As of January 2025, the average Arctic sea ice area was 13.13 million m2, a decrease of about 1.29 million m2 (about 8.95%) from the average of 14.42 million m2 from 1981



to 2010. WWF predicts that the polar bear population will decrease by more than 30% by 2050. Currently, polar bears are designated as a 'Vulnerable' species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.



Polar bears survive by hunting seals that surface on the sea ice to breathe. As sea ice is rapidly shrinking due to climate change, hunting opportunities are rapidly decreasing.



A polar bear lying on the ice, [Photo = Elisabeth Kruger/ WWF]



WWF released a video of a polar bear struggling to cross the melting sea ice. It warned that its habitat is rapidly disappearing.



The underwater footage of a polar bear swimming for a long time in the Arctic Ocean vividly conveyed the reality that polar bears must swim for longer periods of time to survive.



WWF has been operating an Arctic protection program since 1992 and is the only polar environmental NGO with observer status in the Arctic Council.



WWF continues to conduct individual research and monitoring, cooperate with local communities, and improve policies to protect polar bear habitats. It operates various programs to protect Arctic wildlife and ecosystems in cooperation with Arctic residents. It is also strengthening education and publicity activities to widely publicize the crisis facing polar bears.



A polar bear family walking on ice. [Photo=Elisabeth Kruger/WWF]



Churchill, located in northern Manitoba, Canada, is called the 'polar bear capital of the world' because polar bears gather every October and November to hunt seals. As



sea ice in Hudson Bay forms later and melts earlier, polar bears are spending longer periods on land.



The average sea ice-free period in the western Hudson Bay region, where Churchill is located, is estimated to be 150 days. According to related studies, if the global temperature rises by 1.5℃, this period is expected to increase to up to 155 days, and if it rises by 2℃, it is expected to increase to 165-170 days, making it more difficult for polar bears to survive and reproduce.



As the global average temperature in 2024 has already exceeded the Paris Agreement target of 1.5℃, the survival crisis facing polar bears is expected to worsen.



Churchill is a center for ecotourism and a place with important cultural value to the local community. The decline in the polar bear population is likely to have an impact on ecotourism, so more proactive measures are needed to preserve their habitat.



As the sea ice decreases, polar bears are spending more time on land, making it harder for them to find food, which leads to lower hunting success rates and weight loss.



As polar bears swim for long periods of time to hunt, their physical strength is depleted and their survival rate is lowered. WWF released underwater footage of polar bears swimming in the Arctic Ocean, emphasizing that the time polar bears spend in the water is increasing due to the reduction in ice cover.



A polar bear is searching through a discarded drum in the Russian Far East. [Photo = naturepl.com/ Sergey Gorshkov/ WWF]



Due to the decrease in sea ice, there are more cases of polar bears coming down to villages inhabited by humans to find food. According to WWF data, polar bears have been frequently spotted wandering around villages and searching through trash cans in Greenland and Canada recently.



WWF released a photo of a polar bear coming down to the city center to find food. Photos taken in the Tobolski oilfields of Russia show polar bears wandering around human settlements, unable to find prey.



If this situation continues, conflicts between polar bears and humans will intensify, and polar bear populations are likely to decline. In response, WWF has been operating 'polar bear patrols' in cooperation with Arctic residents since 2015, supporting activities to manage polar bears coming to villages and prevent unnecessary hunting.





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