Known as the world’s largest bear and the Arctic’s top predator, polar bears serve as an indicator species for climate change. Because it resides largely within the Arctic Circle, many people will never see a polar bear in its natural habitat. But one sanctuary gives you an utmost marvelous chance to see these beautiful bears roaming around 24 acres of pristine, natural environment, which is as close to the wild as one can possibly get.

Located in Cochrane, Ontario, The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat is the only sanctuary in the world to house polar bears, where they are free to live their lives as they choose. The sanctuary’s efforts are focused on the welfare of the polar bears, participating in conservation projects, fundraising and education. These amazing animals are avid swimmers and can swim for days at a time from one piece of ice to another. They have been clocked to swim up to 10 kph (6 mph) and can swim 100km (62 miles) in a single event with ease. How is that for stamina?

On today’s episode of The Rescue Revolution, I’ll be speaking with Amy Baxendell, the manager of The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat. Amy has worked with five of the eight extant species of bears, and is now concentrating on the conservation of polar bears. She will share her extensive knowledge about these wondrous bears and their habitats, describe their unique features and share fun facts about polar bears. One fun fact we will be discussing is the polar bear’s color. Did you know that polar bears are actually black? Did you also know that polar bear fur is not actually white? Amy will also discuss how climate change is affecting their future survival, the importance of having them on our planet and how this sanctuary is making a difference in polar bear conservation.

Stick with me, Iman Goueli, to learn more about this nature’s special gift to us and how we can contribute to its conservation. Together, we can save the polar bear on planet EARTH.

10 Fun Polar Bear Facts:

1) Polar bears can sniff out their prey from up to 1 km away! (wwf.org.uk)

2) Polar bear fur is actually transparent with a hollow core that reflects light. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

3) Although polar bear skin is black, they are born with pink skin. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

4) Polar bears do not hibernate but live in ice dens with their cubs until they are ready to leave the den. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

5) Polar bears are classified as marine mammals b/c they live mostly on the sea ice. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

6) Chemical secreting foot glands help males track females by sniffing their footprints. (rcinet.ca)

7) Less than 2% of polar bear hunts are successful. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

8) Scientists can extract polar bear DNA just from their footprints. (wwf.org.uk)

9) Polar bear fertilized eggs do not implant immediately after mating. They wait until the conditions are right to increase implantation/survival rates. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

10) Polar bears have a 2-to-4 inch layer of fat around their bodies to keep them warm. (Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat)

Did you know that the polar bear is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as classified by the United States Government? The loss of polar bear habitat, or sea ice, puts the polar bear at risk of becoming endangered with extinction in the foreseeable future. This is defined as 45 years from the time of ESA listing, which is the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species. (Polarbearagreement.org)

***This is a non-profit organization. Please donate at: https://www.polarbearhabitat.ca/

Facebook & Instagram: People for Polar Bears.

#polarbears #bearconservation #climatechange #Cochranepolarbearhabitat