Endangered species of the tundra
- Polar Bears
- Arctic Fox
- Arctic Peregrine Falcon
- Wood Bison
Polar bears
Polar bears are in serious danger of going extinct due to global warming. The bears were the first vertebrate species to be listed by the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened by extinction primarily because of global warming. Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform from which to hunt seals, rest and breed. Every year, the summer sea ice is decreasing in size and melting for longer periods of time. Bears must move long distances to stay with the rapidly receding ice, or in some areas come ashore when ice melts and rely on fat stores until the ice refreezes and they can go back out to hunt. Many polar bears now suffer from malnutrition and others face starvation, especially females with cubs.
- 1979 - First major decline
- 2008 - threatened
- 2012 - endangered