O Dia Internacional do Urso Polar celebra-se a 27 Fevereiro de cada ano. Como sabes, o urso polar tornou-se uma espécie protegida desde Novembro 2011.
International Polar Bear Day is an annual event celebrated every February 27, to coincide with the time period when polar bear moms and cubs are sleeping in their dens, and to raise awareness about the conservation status of the polar bear.
As part of the celebration, the focus is on the need to protect denning families across the Arctic.
The day encourages people to find ways to reduce their carbon output, such as by turning down their thermostat or driving less. The day has also been used to encourage the installation of energy efficient insulation in houses.
Polar bears are found in five countries across the Arctic: Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the U.S., in Alaska. However, they are classed internationally as vulnerable on the extinction risk scale, and their numbers are in decline in at least four of the 19 subpopulations across the Arctic.
These fascinating animals are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals. While they spend most of their time out of the water, they are perfectly adapted to swimming and can swim for several hours or even days at a time by using their paddle-like front paws to propel themselves while keeping their hind legs flat to act as a rudder. Swimming long distances requires a lot of energy which can be challenging to replace if the sea ice isn’t suitable for hunting.
International Polar Bear Day has been noted to be effective in raising awareness online about polar bears through information search.
From their furry, anti-slip feet to the tips of their small, heat-conserving ears, these impressive animals roam across vast areas – sometimes up to 600,000 sq km – to find food and mates.
To coincide with International Polar Bear Day, we’d like to invite you to get to know more about this magnificent animal.
