Numbers in the News: Polar Bears

February 27th is International Polar Bear Day. Learn more about this iconic Arctic animal.

February 14, 2022

26,000

The approximate number of polar bears in the wild

2050

By this year, global polar bear numbers are projected to have declined by about 30 percent due to threats like climate change, illegal hunting, and pollution.

15 to 18

The average number of years polar bears live

1,500

The weight in pounds of a large male polar bear

6.2

The distance in miles from which polar bears can smell prey, like seals—even when their prey is beneath ice

THINK ABOUT IT: Consider where polar bears live and what they eat. How might climate change be affecting these animals?

_{^{SOURCES: EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, NASA}}

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