Conservation Snapshots

Polar Bear

(Ursus maritimus)

©Julie Larsen Maher 2006

Polar bears were hunted almost to extinction in the 1960s and 1970s. International hunting regulations have helped them recover, but they now face increased threats from pollution and climate change, which could destroy the sea ice habitats that polar bears need to hunt and live.

As part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums's Species Survival Plan® (SSP), the Toledo Zoo, Toronto Zoo, Erie Zoo, and others are working with local authorities to educate people about polar bears and build support for polar bear conservation. The Oregon Zoo, another SSP participant, has joined with conservation groups urging legislators to consider the polar bear a threatened species under the United States Endangered Species Act, in order to better protect their habitat.

Biological Information

Size	Males: up to 9 feet long and weighing up to 1300 lbs. Females: up to 6 feet and weighing up to 650 lbs.
Color	White or yellowish fur with black foot pads and nose.
Habitat:	Broken edges of arctic ice and arctic waters near coastlines.
Diet:	Mainly ringed seals, but also other marine mammals and waterfowl.
Breeding:	Breeding occurs in the spring. Because cubs stay with their mothers for 2.5 years, females breed, on average, every 3 years.

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Conservation Snapshots

Polar Bear

Biological Information