The polar bear is under threat from climate change. There are more than 20,000-25,000 polar bears in the Arctic, but this could change if the Arctic continues to warm at twice the rate as the rest of the world.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the status of the polar bear as "vulnerable" on its Red List of Threatened Species.
If our great-grandchildren are to live in a world with polar bears in it, we must all take action now to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.
Find out more:
Learn more about WWF's polar bear work around the Arctic by visiting the WWF-Canada and WWF-US polar bear websites.
Russia will create a new 1.5 million hectare park in the Arctic, a central area for the Barents and Kara Sea polar bear populations.
In spring 2009, Russian biologist Nikita Ovsyanikov participated in polar bear research in the Chukchi Sea led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar says he will retain a special rule issued in December for protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, but will closely monitor the implementation of the rule to determine if additional measures are necessary.