A relatively new species of bear, the polar bear is the only species adapted for polar life. Still being found all around the Arctic, there are roughly 26,000 in the wild at the current time. Whalers and for traders killed many in the 19th century, and while they have recovered experts predict that global warming is likely to lead to the extinction of the polar bear.
Over time we hope to list many places where you can visit bears and see them in their wild home, these will appear here, and a list of posts we have published on bears will appear below these links
Unknown, seemingly impossible Polar bear population found living in Greenland
- Tim
- June 27, 2023
2200 polar bears live on the west coast of Greenland. It is unknown how many live on the east coast, but this group appears to be living in a place where they were formerly thought incapable of surviving.
Polar bears appear to be surviving despite the lack of sea ice, should we take this as a positive sign?
- Tim
- August 18, 2022
A group of polar bears are surviving in south-east Greenland are surviving despite there not being sea ice for most of the year.
Polar bears in Iceland
- Tim
- October 24, 2020
Despite Iceland actually having less ice by far than Greenland (a strange marketing ploy to get people to settle there centuries ago), it is very much arctic nation and and therefore it does occasionally get visits from polar bears. Polar bears are capable of phenomenally long swims, so if they don’t reach land eventually they …...
Trump administration has taped a long time climate change denier to run the noaa, believes climate change doesn’t threaten polar bears
- Tim
- September 21, 2020
The National oceanic and atmospheric administration is an important body whose job it is to produce the majority of the government’s climate change research. It is therefore highly concerning that they have recently chosen David Legates to run this organisation. He is a longtime climate change denier, indeed in 2007 was one of the authors …...
Polar bears in Iceland
- Tim
- July 27, 2020
Despite Iceland actually having less ice by far than Greenland (a strange marketing ploy to get people to settle there centuries ago), it is still very much an arctic nation and and therefore it does occasionally get visits from polar bears.
Cannibalism among polar bears is becoming more common
- Tim
- March 25, 2020
Polar bears have always had problems finding enough to eat. They can only efficiently Hunt out on the sea ice which in the past many seasons of plenty and seasons of fast. Climate change has made the seasons of fast too long to be survived by many and so they’ve had to adapt.
Alaskan polar bear refuge at greater threat from oil exploration than thought
- Tim
- March 5, 2020
Polar bears retreat into dens under the snow in order to have their cubs. Until recently this was an entirely sensible thing to do as these stems would survive very effectively until warm enough for the bear’s to emerge.
Polar ice is now melting 6 times faster than it was in the 1990s
- Tim
- April 15, 2020
This statistic on its own is alarming but to put it in Context this suggest that we are tracking the worst of the three scenarios put forward by climate scientists in the past.
Too many bears in the Canadian Arctic?
- Tim
- February 10, 2019
The Nunavut government has put together a report looking into polar bear Inuit interactions. The report suggests that population growth has pushed the polar bears into close proximity with the Inuits and the result of this is likely to be more and more clashes and potentially deaths of humans.
Species watch
- Tim
- May 11, 2022
I am intending to make this into a new set of articles that will appear on this website. Obviously, these species will not be the only ones that are covered – for those who read this website regularly, you will know that I talk about a wide range of species. The species that I am …...
I am disgusted to be British after the latest move in parliament – hunting trophy import ban to be axed, but if we are ending the ban the British government must take responsibility
- Tim
- March 15, 2022
The British government promised to ban the imports of trophies in to the UK, yet they have given up after “wealthy peers” lobbied against the move and so it was dropped. I have written on this issue many times over the last few years, as it was raised as an issue over and over again. …...
First known albino chimpanzee was born in Africa this summer. Unfortunately it was killed
- Tim
- December 5, 2021
Many species can have albinism. That is: a lower amount of pigmentation or indeed a complete lack of pigmentation. From white lions and white deer, or indeed even white grizzly bears – possibly the initial way that Polar bears evolved, albinism is not rare. Humans are also capable of having this condition – evidence is …...
DNA analysis has demonstrated significant differences between African and Asian leopards
- Tim
- November 15, 2021
For the majority of people, a leopard is a leopard. Sure there are quite a range of subspecies, but one generally looks rather like the other. Indeed the only significant difference people often notice is one that has not justification – that of the melanistic leopard (or black panther) In order to disturb wild leopards …...
Fascinating genetic analysis of African and Asian leopards show worrying fact
- Tim
- May 7, 2021
Despite the fact that over time I’m many zoos have accidentally or intentionally interbred African and Asian leopards they are actually significantly different. How different you might ask? The two different cat species are more genetically distinct than the polar bear and the brown Bear! We need to remember that subspecies of animals evolve separately …...
Can hunting ever be ethical? How can it work?
- Tim
- December 22, 2020
There are many sports Hunters around the world. A significant portion of them live in the States and western Europe-it is generally a rich man’s (and woman) game. There are certainly parts of the world for which hunting is a sensible use of the land. However this is not true across the vast majority.
Trump trying to destroy the Arctic wildlife refuge before he loses power
- Tim
- December 17, 2020
Trump is going to kick start the process of selling rights to drill oil in the arctic refuge on the 6th of January. Whats more, in the lame-duck session, he is desperately keen to get this process so far along, that it is impossible for Biden to undo this stupid move that is totally anti-democratic.
Trump determined to push licensing on arctic refuge drilling far enough that Biden cannot reverse it
- Tim
- November 19, 2020
One of Trump’s big aims during his first term was to greatly increase oil and gas extraction, to the point where the USA is energy independent. For those who have looked at the data, there are several problems with this.
Are we allowing the silent extinction of giraffes
- Tim
- November 13, 2020
Giraffe survival is in danger: according to the giraffe conservation Foundation giraffe numbers have fallen from 140000 and 80000 in the last 20-years. Yet other organisations suggest that the current number of wild giraffes is only 68000. How can we possibly let such a unique looking animal disappear from the world. Giraffes are a common …...