International Polar Bear Day: Species on thin ice
February 27 is International Polar Bear Day, a celebration to raise awareness of the specie's conservation.
Last year, a coastal town in Russia received frequent visits by polar bears forced to share land with humans. Melting sea ice due to climate change is generally cited as the cause.
Polar bears hunt on sea ice. According to data based on the World Climate Research Program's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), climate change will result in an annual ice-free period lasting more than 5 months, which might lead to reproduction problems and starvation for the bears.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the bears as vulnerable due to the loss of its sea ice habitat.
(Cover: Polar bear jumping between ice floes. /VCG Photo)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)