Poohbears

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= = =What We Want To Learn=

How is global warming effecting the polar bear population?

What is a polar bear's life like?

=Why Research Polar Bears?=

We love polar bears. They are very mysterious creatures. They blend in with snow and nature. Bigfoot, my bestest friend, wants to marry one. Not many people know a lot about polar bears.

=Did You Know?=

The Polar Bear population is in grave danger. Since the early 1980's, Canada's [|polar bear] populaton has dropped 22%. One major threat to polar bears right now is the climate change. Melting platforms of ice are making it harder for polar bears to hunt for seals. Polar bears can live in one of the five "polar bear nations" which include Alaska, Canada, Russia, Denmak (Greenland), and Norway.

=What Do They Eat?=

A polar bear's favorite meal is a seal. They catch the seals when they come up through polynyas, area's of open water surrounded by ice, to breathe. Together, wind, tidal currents, and upwellings of water create these polynyas. Polar bears have an extremely good sense of smell. They use that powerful sense to locate the seal's breathing holes. Once a a polar bear finds a seal's breathing hole, it waits patiently for a seal to come up for a breath. A seal comes up to breathe every five to fifteen minutes, but there are so many breathing holes that it may take hours and even days for a polar bear to find a seal.

=Sleepy Bears=

Like humans, polar bears sleep seven to eight hours a night. But in the arctic, "night" and "day" don't mean much. In the summer, polar bears live in 24 hours of daylight, whiloe in the winter, they live in 24 hours of darkness. Polar bears have a tendency of sleeping in the day more than at night. It may be because seals are more active at night. Polar bears also take lots of naps anytime, and anywhere. They nap about an hour after feeding on a seal.

=A Changing Climate=

As the temperatures rise, the ice in the arctic is melting away.

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