Every year on February 27, the international environmental holiday International Polar Bear Day is celebrated. The initiator of this holiday is Polar Bears International (PBI) - an international organization that fights to preserve the population of polar bears (Lat. Ursus maritimus).
The purpose of International Polar Bear Day is to disseminate information about these animals and to draw public attention to the need to protect both the bears themselves and their natural habitat. It is also about the need to solve the problem of melting polar glaciers - the main reason for the threat of extinction of polar bear populations.
Today, the polar bear population needs protection, as polar bears breed slowly and mortality among young can reach 30%. What threatens the predator at the top of the food pyramid?
1. Poaching. Despite the legal ban on the hunting the polar bears, the price of animal skins and other trophies is very high on the black market.
2. Global warming. According to scientists, the area of Arctic ice cover, which is a natural habitat for polar bears, has declined by 25% in recent years. However, experts believe that these are very cautious and overly optimistic estimates, in fact, the melting of glaciers is much faster.
3. Pollution of the Arctic environment. Marine waters and coastal ecosystems are polluted by pesticides, radionuclides, fuel combustion products, heavy metals, fuels and lubricants, oil, etc.
The Polar Bear Conservation Agreement, which was signed in 1976, states that the control of their population should be based on the most modern methods; in addition, their habitats need to be preserved.
Mykolaiv Zoo is the only zoo in Ukraine which has three polar bears in its collection. This is a young couple Zefirka and Nanuk and their daughter Smetanka.
Our zoo, by keeping and successfully breeding polar bears, contributes to the preservation of these beautiful animals. It is no secret that the conservation of the species largely depends on the reproduction of rare animals in zoos.
Zoo experts have developed a diet for the polar bears, which includes everything they need. The creative approach in giving of the diet is used to entertain the bears with puzzles so that the animals did not get bored.
Spacious enclosures are equipped for the polar bears in Mykolaiv Zoo, and for visitors there are viewing points from where they can safely observe giants at any time of the year.
Congratulations to our white fluffy beauties on the holiday!
We invite everyone to come to us for a walk.
