Save the polar bears and protect their icy habitat!

Hello, Earth Rangers! I’m Nicholas Paroshy. I’m a researcher at the University of Alberta, and I love polar bears! I’m studying them in an area of the Arctic called the Beaufort Sea.

Fun fact: Polar bears don’t have white fur! Their fur actually has no color, but in the reflected light it looks white, helping them blend in with the ice around them. Talk about cool!

These extraordinary animals live in the Arctic regions of Canada, the United States, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. As apex predators, they’re found at the top of the food chain. They use ice platforms to hunt seals, their favorite food, and they’re built for this chilly environment. Polar bears have thick layers of fat and fur to keep them warm. Their wide paws help them travel over the ice and swim through the water. Plus, their curved, sharp claws keep them steady and help them grip their prey.

Polar bears need those layers of fat to stay warm, so they’re big eaters. They can eat up to 150 pounds (68 kg) of seal blubber in one sitting. With all that hunting and eating, polar bears use up a lot of energy, so they’re also excellent at sleeping and napping. In the summer they sleep curled up on the ice, and in the winter they burrow into the snow and can snooze for days. They’ve even been known to sleep through blizzards!

Polar bears rely on sea ice for food, but their habitat keeps melting as temperatures rise due to climate change. My research looks at how these changes are affecting the way these creatures live, so we’ll know how to help them. You can help, too!

Head to the Adoptions section in the Earth Rangers App or visit the Earth Rangers Shop to get your Polar Bear Adoption Kit and make a difference today!