# Polar Bear — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Ursus maritimus (Popham, 1774)*

> The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with an estimated 22,000–31,000 individuals; climate change and the loss of Arctic sea ice are the primary threats to its survival.

**IUCN status:** Vulnerable  ·  **WARN range:** Arctic Canada, Greenland, Norway (Svalbard), Russia, Alaska

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 350–800 kg (large males); females ~150–300 kg |
| Habitat | Arctic sea ice and coastal tundra |
| Diet | Mainly ringed and bearded seals |
| Lifespan | Up to ~25–30 years in the wild |
| Range states | Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, USA |
| CITES | Appendix II |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Ursidae
- **Genus:** Ursus
- **Species:** Ursus maritimus (Popham, 1774)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Vulnerable (IUCN, 2015). Projected >30% population decline over three generations due to sea ice loss.
- **Population:** 22,000–31,000 individuals across the Arctic
- **Trend:** Decreasing overall; varies by subpopulation
- **Assessed:** 2015
- **CITES:** Appendix II
- Climate change mitigation is the fundamental conservation action.

## Key facts: Polar Bear
- Polar bears are the largest bears and the largest land carnivores alive.
- They depend on sea ice to hunt seals — climate change is their primary threat.
- Polar bears are classified as marine mammals because they live on ocean ice.
- An estimated 22,000–31,000 polar bears remain across the Arctic.
- Longer ice-free seasons force bears ashore, increasing conflict with Arctic communities.
- Canada hosts roughly two-thirds of the world's polar bears.

## Life on the sea ice
Polar bears are superbly adapted to the Arctic. A thick layer of blubber and dense fur provide insulation; large paws act as snowshoes and paddles for swimming. They hunt mainly at breathing holes and ice edges, where ringed seals surface. A successful seal hunt can provide enough energy for several days.

Females den in snow drifts on land, giving birth during the Arctic winter and fasting for months while nursing cubs. As sea ice forms later and melts earlier, the window for hunting shrinks, and bears must either swim farther or spend longer on land with limited food.

## Climate change and sea ice loss
Arctic sea ice has declined by roughly 13% per decade since satellite records began in 1979. For polar bears, this means shorter hunting seasons, longer swims between floes and reduced body condition in some populations. Studies of western Hudson Bay bears show earlier ice break-up correlates with lower survival and reproduction.

Some populations — such as those in the southern Beaufort Sea — have declined markedly. Others, in areas where ice persists longer, remain stable for now. The IUCN projects a greater than 30% population decline over three generations if sea ice loss continues.

## Polar bears and Arctic communities
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic have hunted polar bears for subsistence and cultural purposes for thousands of years. Today, regulated harvest continues in Canada, Greenland and Alaska under quotas agreed by range states. As bears spend more time on land during ice-free periods, encounters with northern communities increase — sometimes with tragic outcomes for both bears and people. Waste management and attractant control in Arctic towns reduce conflict. Tourism to view polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba and Svalbard generates significant revenue but requires strict distance rules to protect bears and visitors.

## Conservation and international cooperation
All five polar bear range states — Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Norway, Russia and the United States — are parties to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, which prohibits unregulated hunting and commits signatories to protect bear habitat. The IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group coordinates population monitoring. CITES lists polar bears on Appendix II. Debate continues over whether international trade in polar bear skins from legal Canadian hunts affects poaching elsewhere. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit Arctic warming is the fundamental conservation action for the species.

## Related WARN guides
Polar bears are marine mammals of the ice — read WARN's grizzly bear and black bear guides for other Ursids, walrus page for shared Arctic habitat, and seal guide for prey species.

Climate change links polar bears to broader habitat protection appeals.

Reducing greenhouse emissions and protecting denning sites underpin polar bear survival.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this polar bear guide as free public education. Climate change and Arctic habitat loss are global challenges; this guide helps readers understand why sea ice matters and how polar bears serve as indicators of Arctic ecosystem health.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Polar Bear
### Are polar bears endangered?
Polar bears are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN — one category below Endangered — with a decreasing population trend. Climate change and sea ice loss are the primary threats.

### How many polar bears are left?
The IUCN estimates 22,000–31,000 polar bears across the Arctic. Canada hosts roughly two-thirds. Population trends vary by region — some declining, others stable.

### What do polar bears eat?
Polar bears feed mainly on ringed seals and bearded seals, hunted from the sea ice. They also scavenge whale carcasses and occasionally take walrus calves, birds and vegetation when on land.

### Do polar bears hibernate?
Polar bears do not hibernate in the traditional sense, though pregnant females enter a denning period in snow drifts, fasting for months while nursing newborn cubs.

### How does climate change affect polar bears?
Rising temperatures shrink Arctic sea ice, shortening the hunting season. Bears must swim longer distances, spend more time fasting on land and show reduced body condition and reproduction in affected populations.

### Where can you see polar bears in the wild?
Polar bears can be viewed from Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), Svalbard (Norway) and parts of Alaska and Greenland. Responsible tourism keeps distance and follows strict guidelines to avoid disturbing bears.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Ursus maritimus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22823/14871490)
- [IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group](https://iucn.org/ssc-groups/mammals/polar-bear-specialist-group)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/polar-bear