It’s International Polar Bear day! A day to celebrate and learn about such an iconic animal.

Polar bears are the largest of all bear species and the largest land carnivores in the world! Because they hunt primarily on sea ice, they are considered Marine mammals.

Although a polar bear looks white, its skin is jet black! They sport a dense coat of translucent hair that reflects the light from ice sheets in the Arctic. Polar bears are excellent swimmers and can reach speeds of up to six miles per hour in the water; thats as fast as Olympic medalist Micheal Phelps!

Despite being amazingly charismatic and highly important animals for their ecosystem, polar bears are at risk of going extinct through climate change.

Their numbers have dwindled to a mere 25,000 in the wild, less than many college campuses, because it is becoming harder to find food and mates as the ice melts more rapidly. A few have been victims of urban sprawl, and have to be terminated to keep humans safe from the starving bears.

But there is a silver lining!

There is so much work to do to bring back polar bears, and you can help! By donating to a wildlife fund that helps polar bears, you can aid in their research and preservation. Read up on their plight and melting habitat and teach the next generation! Children have a special link to wildlife that, when fostered early in life, can have huge payoffs in the future.

Most importantly, tell a friend. Polar bears can’t fight climate change alone and neither can we. It takes a team and community with everyone on board to help save them.

And when you’ve done your part to help save the polar bears, learn about all the other animals that need help by heading over to other pages at Zovargo.