It’s International Polar Bear Day; Help Protect This Threatened Species In The Wild Before It’s Too Late

International Polar Bear Day was created to help bring awareness to the plight of Polar Bears in the wild and the threats they are facing as sea ice continues to melt at a rapid rate.

According to The World Conservation Union (IUCN), there are an estimated 20,000-25,000 polar bears left in the world. They were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2008.

There are several factors as to why this beautiful species is suffering in the wild. Whether it be from trophy hunting, human wildlife conflict, oil exploration, or the biggest threat, loss of habitat caused by climate change.

Due to climate change, sea ice has been melting at an extremely rapid rate, making it harder for polar bears to hunt for food. Earlier this month, video captured 50 polar bears invading a village on the Novaya Zemlya Islands in Northern Russia, a very sad sight as they were scavenging for food in local dumps.

Stories like this highlights the dire situation that these threatened polar bears are currently facing, making it more urgent for us to Act Now to secure their future before it’s too late.

Here are some ways you can help:

• Go solar and push for renewable energy worldwide

• Demand that we stop offshore drilling and keep oil in the ground to avoid oil spills that have devastating effects on our oceans and marine life

• Support legislation that helps to reduce methane emissions

• Vote for leaders that believe in a more sustainable, eco-friendly, green future

For more ways that you can help, visit: Polar Bears International Action with impact HERE!

For an inside look at a polar bears’ life while struggling to raise her cubs as the ice around her is melting, watch the important documentary MY JOURNEY WITH A POLAR BEAR.

In this captivating film, the Arctic is revealed through the eyes of Frost, a beautiful polar bear mother with two cubs, as captured by Norwegian filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad.

Helgestad takes viewers on a four year journey through Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Climate change and rising temperatures are responsible for significant disruptions to Frost’s home, where sea ice and permafrost are melting at record speeds. Yet, the dazzling beauty of the Arctic is still the centerpiece of this stunning film.

MY JOURNEY WITH A POLAR BEAR premieres Wednesday, March 6th, at 8PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.