Hope+the+Polar+Bear



=Welcome to Hope's page!=

Hope is a 15 year old female polar bear living in north-eastern Minatoba. She is generally referred to as Nerriungnerk, meaning "hope" in the Inuit language. Hope currently being tracked by the World Wildlife Foundation, along with her two year and nine month old cub. She was originally found with twin, female cubs. As time passed, cub X33308, stayed with her mother, while the other cub most likely weaned and left her family; she still remains unaccounted for. It is unusual for a cub to stay with its mother so long, as they are usually weaned and living on their own after about a year. There is an unfortunate possibility for the other cub, however. Due to the Earth's rapid climate change, this cub may have been unable to survive in the warming climate, with adversities such as melting icecaps and reduced food supply.

 Hope is one of a few polar bears left. By 2050, //at least // two thirds of the world's polar bears will be wiped out. The current polar bear population is already down to 22,000. The ice is melting 10% every decade, eliminating habitats, resting space, and hunting grounds for the polar bears. A polar bear, descendant of the brown bear, is in excellent swimmer with oily fur that sheds water and has enough fat on their bodies to keep them warm in even the coldest of waters. These bears can swim up to 80km without tiring, and can still manage to hunt and play after a long swim. With this knowledge, it is easy to think that global warming will not cause too much damage to these beautiful animals. However, with the ice floats melting, these are fewer and fewer places for the bears to rest and dry off. Many recent polar bear deaths have been attributed to drowning due to lack of icy refuge. Also, with today's consumer-driven demands, the intake of fish and other sea animals is leaving the polar bear with a limited supply of food and nourishment.

 There is hope for Hope, her cub, and all other polar bears. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services are currently deciding whether or not they should place the polar bear on the Endangered Species list; they are currently on the Threatened list. One of the best things we can do is to cut down on (CO2) Carbon Dioxide emission; this is one of the most damaging things to the polar bears and their ice caps. The way each person can do this is by recycling and reusing products, and using more energy efficient appliances. The only way to stop global warming is for **everyone ** to make a change, no matter how small of a change it may be. Everyone can do their part and preserve Hope.