February 27, 2025
Celebrating International Polar Bear Day and Sharing Why These Arctic Icons Need Our Help
Every year on February 27, we come together to recognize International Polar Bear Day, a time to celebrate these majestic Arctic creatures and raise awareness about the challenges they face. Established by Polar Bears International, this day falls during a critical time — when mother polar bears are tucked away in snowy dens across the Arctic to care for their newborn cubs, and reemerging in late February. Cubs typically emerge from their den in late February or early March.
To celebrate today, we’re sharing facts on the amazing creatures and their life in the arctic!
Polar Bear Fast Facts
Names: wapusk (Swampy Cree), nanuq (Inuktut), sas delgay (Dene), isbjørn (Norwegian), eisbär (German)
Scientific Classification: Ursus maritimus (latin for “sea bear”), a mammal of the Ursidae (bear) Family
Status: Manitoba: Threatened, Canada: Special concern, Global: Vulnerable
Size: 350- 600 kg
Lifespan: 25-30 years old in the wild
Population: 935 (western Hudson Bay, Manitoba), a 33 per cent decline.
Perfectly Adapted for Polar Life
Ever wonder how polar bears survive in the cold Manitoba temperatures? Here’s how their bodies are perfectly adapted for it!
- They have 2 layers of fur:
- Polar bears have thick fur to help keep in their body heat.
- Thick padding of fat:
- Usually around 4 inches thick! This helps them stay warm when they have wet fur due to swimming
- Special huge paws with webbing to swim
- Their paws are up to 12 inches wide! The size of a plate!
- Their webbed paws help them with swimming as they act as paddles.
- Their thick claws help them dig into the ice and hold onto wriggling seals
Surviving in one of the harshest environments on Earth, polar bears are remarkably adapted to life in the Arctic. From their thick fur and insulating fat to their powerful paws built for swimming and walking on ice, every part of a polar bear allows them to thrive in a frozen world. But as climate change rapidly reshapes the Arctic landscape, these incredible adaptations are being put to the test. With sea ice disappearing at an alarming rate, polar bears are facing new challenges that threaten their ability to find food, raise their young, and ultimately survive.
Why are Polar Bears at Risk
Manitoba’s bears, which live in the southern range of polar bear habitat, are uniquely adapted to warmer weather. Yet they are also at the greatest risk from climate change.
Polar bears in the Hudson Bay region already spend more time on land—and more time fasting—than bears in Greenland, Norway, Russia, Alaska, and Nunavut.They are the only polar bears to dig earthen dens because winter often comes too late for snow dens. Pregnant polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay region travel seven to 150 kilometres inland to find a safe place to give birth and shelter their cubs. There is evidence that some maternity den sites have been in use for at least 200 years.
- Climate Change
An overarching threat to sea ice habitat, climate change and its progression can anticipate to greatly reduce polar bear access to hunting grounds while increasing their on land fasting period. Polar bears in Manitoba are now spending an average of about 30 extra days on land each summer and fall than they did in the 1980s. A recent study found that polar bear fat stores fell by 56 per cent from 1985 to 2018 while the open water period increased by 9.9 days per decade.
- Human Activities
Industrial scale mineral and hydroelectric development and their associated road networks carry inherent risks to the lands and wildlife with which they overlap. If operations expand without foresight, tourism can also have negative impacts on the natural environment. Tourism operators must continue to lead with sustainability at the forefront.
- Decreased Prey Populations
Loss of ice and reduced snow cover also has negative impacts on polar bear prey populations as seals rely on this environment to rear their pups. They can be found where sea ice is present.
Polar bears rely on these seals to build up their fat stores in the spring so they can sustain themselves through the ice-free period in the summer and into autumn. A polar bear can eat up to 10% to 20% of its weight in a single meal.
A longer ice-free period is now stretching into the bears’ spring and fall feeding periods. These are critical periods — if they get too long, the bears won’t have enough fat reserves to last. This means less fat for mother bears to be able to feed the next generation.
Conclusion
Polar bears are not only icons of the Arctic — they are vital indicators of the health of our planet. Protecting these majestic creatures means protecting the fragile ecosystems they depend on, and by extension, addressing the impacts of climate change that affect us all.
This International Polar Bear Day, we can all play a role in safeguarding their future. Whether it’s learning more about climate action, reducing our carbon footprint, supporting conservation organizations, or simply sharing information with friends and family, every action counts.
Together, we can ensure polar bears continue to roam the Arctic for this generation and future generations to come. Join the celebration, spread the word, and help protect these incredible animals.
How to Learn More:
Along with our in-text links, follow these links to learn more about polar bears.
CPAWS Manitoba:
OTHER: