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The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed.The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg (660–1,760 lb).
In 1927, poisoning was outlawed while in 1939, certain denning sights were declared off limits. The killing of females and cubs was made illegal in 1965. Killing of polar bears decreased somewhat 25–30 years before the treaty. Despite this, the polar bear population continued to decline and by 1973, only around 1000 bears were left in Svalbard.
Weights range greatly from the sun bear, which can be as low as 35 kg (77 lb), to the polar bear, which can be as high as 726 kg (1,600 lb). Population sizes vary, with six species classified as vulnerable with populations as low as 500, while the brown bear has a population of over 100,000 and the American black bear around 800,000
Rank Common name Scientific name Family Image Average mass (kg) Maximum mass (kg) Average length (m) Maximum length (m) Shoulder height (m) Native range
The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears is a multilateral treaty signed in Oslo, November 15, 1973, by the five nations with the largest polar bear populations: Canada, Denmark (), Norway (), the United States, and the Soviet Union. [1]
The 1958 Statehood Act set up a program for polar bear management, and further conservation efforts, including the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, have limited polar bear hunts. [10] Polar bear populations may be threatened by oil development and global warming. [10] [11] Only about 4700 polar bears are known to inhabit Alaska. [12]
One population in the Northwest Atlantic and another in the Northeast. The latter population has declined 85-90% in the past 60 years for unknown reasons. [78] Northern fur seal: Callorhinus ursinus: 650,000 [79] VU [79] [79] American black bear: Ursus americanus: 950,000 [80] LC [80] [80] Numbers are believed to be twice that of all other ...
The current proposal would limit development to 2,000 acres (8.1 km 2) of that plain. [ 21 ] Much of the debate over whether to drill in the 1002 area of ANWR rests on the amount of economically recoverable oil, as it relates to world oil markets, weighed against the potential harm oil exploration might have upon the natural wildlife , in ...