Introduction
Many scientists nowadays believe that global warming is placing certain animal species in jeopardy. They believe that a change in the animals’ ecosystem puts their survival in jeopardy. The polar bear is one of the animals that has been listed as endangered. The scientific community has long questioned if the polar bear is a threatened animal. Polar bear numbers are believed to be declining as a result of global warming, a shortage of food supplies, and Eskimos hunting. Polar bears survive in very cold climates, and their survival is believed to be in danger as a result of human-caused global warming. In America, a lawsuit has been lodged to defend polar bears, which are considered to be vulnerable. In fact, the polar bear population is stable and does not need safety.
Reasons they don’t need protection
The population of polar bear is intact
Before a few decades, the number of polar bears was expected to be somewhat lower; but, in recent years, the population of polar bears has been growing. According to ( Unger)“ Let’s start with what we know. Almost everybody agrees that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears alive today. Here’s another thing almost everyone agrees on: That number is a whole lot bigger than it was 40 years ago”. Most of the knowledge regarding the polar bear population loss remains speculative. In recent years, residents have seen a larger number of bears than in past years. Some facts regarding the polar bear community are founded on speculation rather than factual proof.
Most people assume that the polar bear survey number is misleading because it includes defects. In the opposite, it has been said that the increasing number of polar bears poses a danger to humans. Bears pose a danger to people who love summer holidays and recreational adventures. “Communities in the Western Hudson Bay region, where harvest quotas were cut by 80% four years ago, are complaining about the number of polar bears,” according to ( Kirk). People will still see as many as 20 polar bears at the ice-flow edge if they gaze out the window,” Flaherty adds. Polar bears do not need threatened protection in such a case.
The Arctic ice is not Melting
Polar bears live in the ice of the Arctic. The loss of Arctic ice as a result of global change has sparked a lot of debate. However, as of 2012, this seems to be a twisted reality, since the arctic ice appears to be thriving. “Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean underwent a sharp recovery this year from the record-low levels of 2012, with 50 percent more ice surviving the summer melt season, scientists said. It is the largest one-year increase in Arctic ice since satellite tracking began in 1978”. And moreover, the polar bears are used to live in less ice as a matter of adaptation. And Arctic ice is can increase and decrease as a natural process and nothing is permanent as change is part of nature.
The satellite monitoring reveled that the ice pack is re-growing. When there is enough arctic ice there is no threat to the life of the polar bears. If there is a natural habitat, then the animals surviving in it are not under threat. Polar bears even can survive with less ice and they have done so in the past. Polar bear is specie that has been living on earth since thousands of years According to scientist the ice is 50 % up that in 2012. The global warming is not a proven fact rather than more of assumption there are many debates on this issue so there is no need of protection for polar bears.
Polar Bears have Enough Food Supply
As people think polar bear do not have scarcity of food supply. Polar bear do not only survive on meat but they adapt to climate change and do eat eggs and berries. The polar bears also hunt on snow geese. As per ( Cox)“The polar bear is an opportunistic hunter, always alert to other food sources—including vegetation, geese, and even bird eggs if available. These terrestrial foods do not provide enough calories to sustain them, however. But other arctic marine mammals, including whales, walruses, and narwhals, do provide adequate nutrition for hungry polar bears”. When there are many options for food then there is less chance for the population of the polar bear to decrease. And more over the arctic is not a human touched area and all the food sources available are for the polar bears
Polar bear like any other animal has adaptive skills. They can survive on many species that are available on arctic region. The polar bear have been surviving in the arctic region for long time. Very less people know that polar bears feed on mushrooms and berries. They have their own adaptive skills and there is plenty of fish in the region for them to survive. Polar bear like any other animal is flexible and can satisfy their appetite with available sources. So there is no reason for us to protect the polar bears as an endangered species.
Polar Bears are Reproducing Well
According to scientific survey, the polar bears are reproducing well and there is rise in their population. Actually, the polar bears are not harmed by any ice melt and their number has increased overall. Polar bear being a polygamous animal can reproduce their species well. According to ( Layton) “Polar bears aren’t monogamous animals — a strong male might impregnate several females in one season”. Moreover a pregnant polar bear can survive on fat reserves for 9 months which is a good sign of survival. With such a reproductive nature there is less chance for the specie of polar bear to decline. Polar bear is sustaining well and definitely do not need protection as an endangered species.
Polar Bears have no Predators
One of the facts that the population of polar bear is not declining is because it does not have predators. Generally all of the species on earth have predators and that is one of the reason they may decline in number but fortunately, polar bear has no predators and this could conserve their population in a natural manner. When the animals do not reproduce well, or does not get food supply or has adverse habitat then having predators can make the species extinct. However, with no predators, polar bears do not need protection as endangered species.
Conclusion
The polar bear being tagged as an endangered species is a myth than a reality. For the very same reason, the U>S has not agreed to the petition with regard to conserving them as an endangered animal. There is no credible information or facts which suggest that polar bear population is declining. Polar bear does not spend their time on ice but mostly on water or sea. And regarding the melting of Arctic, there is decrease in ice somewhere in arctic at all times and is a natural process. The survey shows that the polar bear population is growing and they have good food supply and reproducing rate. Moreover, global warming is not an accepted fact as scientist has found that arctic ice is better than past years. Keeping all these facts in mind, polar bears are not under threat they like another animal should be protected but they are definitely not an endangered species but still need to be conserved as a natural asset.
Work Cited
- Cox, Daniel J. “Hunting and Diet.” http://www.polarbearsinternational.org. Polarbears International, 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/essentials/hunting-and-eating>.
- Gillis, Justin. “Arctic Ice Makes Comeback From Record Low, but Long-Term Decline May Continue.” http://www.nytimes.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/21/science/earth/arctic-ice-makes-comeback-from-record-low-but-long-term-decline-may-continue.html?_r=0>.
- Layton, Julia. “How Polar Bear works.” http://science.howstuffworks.com. How Stuff Works, 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/zoology/mammals/polar-bear3.htm>
- Myers, Kirk. “Canada’s growing polar bear population ‘becoming a problem,’ locals say.” http://www.examin er.com. Examiner, Jan. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://www.examiner.com/article/canada-s-growing-polar-bear-population-becoming-a-problem-locals-say>.
- Unger, Zac. “Are Polar Bears Really Disappearing?.” http://online.wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal, 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424 127887323452204578288343627 2 82034>.
