Sachi Rai

January 15, 2015

Independent Research Pd 1
Annotated Source List
Clark, Douglas A., Floris M. Van Beest, and Ryan Brook. Polar Bear-Human Conflicts: State of
Knowledge and Research Needs. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Canadian Wildlife Biology &
Management. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
This report talks about polar bear-human interactions and how the researchers looked at
literature and government sources, in order to see what the factors and possible solutions were to
conflicts. It talks about how there is a need for more research in order to prove climate change is
leading to more conflict. As sea ice melts earlier, polar bears are spending more time on land
looking for food, which leads to conflict because bears are not scared of humans and tend to be
aggressive. The sea ice decline means polar bears will be with humans longer, making
coexistence imperative. Statistics are mentioned showing the drastic difference between polar
bear fatalities in conflicts and human deaths in conflicts. The article explains that even though
human fatalities are rare, when they occur they are highly publicized altering peoples views on
conservation, while an incident where the polar bear is harmed but the human is okay is unlikely
to get attention. Most polar bears killed in conflict are sub-adult males, who have less experience
hunting and are less likely to be able to catch food on land. Also the article says how habituation
and food conditioning play a role in conflict, since bears have been becoming increasingly
aggressive and less afraid of humans. Interesting statistics on use of different deterrents on bears,
and how attractants can lead to conflict were also mentioned in the article.
This article is useful because it looks at a variety of factors relating to the relationship
between humans and polar bears. It references many credible sources, and provides an
abundance of statistics to back up the ideas stated. Overall it provides a large amount of
information explaining multiple sides of the situation.
"Conservation of Polar Bears in Canada." Environment Canada. Government of Canada, 8 Sept.
2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
<https://www.ec.gc.ca/nature/default.asp?lang=En&n=A997D1CC-1>
This article is published by the Canadian government and discusses what Canada is doing
to protect polar bears. It says how Canada has around two-thirds of all the polar bears on the
planet, and therefore has a big responsibility in protecting them. The article brings up the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and says how Canada only
exports about three hundred polar bears a year, and it is for subsistence purposes rather than
commercial purposes. The article also talks about what actions Canada is taking to protect polar
bears and says how it works closely with organizations to protect them as best possible. It says
how Canada is limiting hunting and exportation and establishing protected areas for the polar
bears to live in. The article also talks about how Canada is talking to other international countries
and trying to push the idea of climate change, in order to stop it to help save the polar bears
habitat. Canada is also conducting a large amount of research to find ways to boost the
population and protect the bears and their environment.

This article is useful because it shows what is already being done to protect the polar
bears. It takes a different approach than most articles have, and is taking the research route rather
than trying to change peoples behavior. This is important to look at because it shows the other
side of polar bear conservation, that includes research, bans, and wildlife preserves.
Gorman, James. "For Polar Bears, a Climate Change Twist." The New York Times. N.p., 22 Sept.
2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/science/for-polar-bearsa-climate-change-twist.html>.
This article discusses the change of diet of polar bears in La Perouse Bay, Manitoba near
Hudson Bay. It says how bears have begun eating snow geese since earlier melting times have
been forcing bears onto shore the same time the geese are using the area as a breeding ground.
Polar bears were food deprived in the summer, but geese are helping with that problem. The
article says how there are 75,000 pairs of snow geese on the Cape Churchhill peninsula, as a
result of continuing goose population explosion. The number of snow geese in Mid-Canada
exploded from about 1.5 million in the 1960s to about 15 million now. However the positive
effects of this are short term, polar bears are still on a downward slope regardless of the new food
source, and the snow geese population growth is having a negative impact on the environment.
The snow geese population has grown to the point where they are harming their own land, as
they are killing vegetation. This is an example of global warming having a domino effect, with
one thing leading to another. It says how in order to understand the chain reactions, one has to
study the individual pieces in the chain. However, some scientists think that studying this in
depth is a bad idea, as they do not see how the information is relevant. Some are worried that this
information may cause people to believe that polar bears are doing fine and do not require help,
while others think the information will bring to light how much the environment is changing.
This article is useful because it looks at another animal in the region and how that animal
affects polar bears. It also provides a variety of pictures showing things relevant to the article, for
example one picture showed the damage done to the coastline by geese. Also the article looks at
both points of view on the issue.
Handwerk, Brian. "Arctic's Hudson Bay Warming Rapidly, at Tipping Point."
National Geographic. N.p., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131008-arctic-warming-hudsonbayclimate-change-ice-paleoclimate/>.
This article talks about temperature changes in the Hudson Bay, and the effect it is having on
the ecosystem. Since shifts happen quickly in the Arctic, changes tend to show there first, and
temperatures have been increasing in the Arctic for a number of years now. While the Arctic has
had rising temperatures since around 1800, the Hudson Bay has seemed resistant. The
temperatures in the Hudson Bay area have remained relatively steady for the past twenty years,
yet now they are rising at an unprecedented rate. The article state that the reason for this is that
the Hudson Bay is second largest inlet in the world and has a large amount of ice surrounding it
to keep it cool, so the point where the Hudson Bay starts melting is a large indicator. The rising
temperatures have affected the climate by changing the types of freshwater organisms, and
changes in increased stratification of temperature layers in the bay. Since lakes constantly
accumulate sediment, a large amount of information is preserved, so scientists look at tiny fossils

such as algae to find out past conditions. They found that the changes are strikingly close to ones
seen earlier in the Arctic, and that this change is similar but just occurring at a later time. Based
on this information, the article said the changes were warming based rather than nutrient based.
Although this article did not mention polar bears, it was helpful because it helped to
explain climate changes occurring in areas that effect bears. The Hudson Bay area has a large
number polar bears, and information about the algae changes that are affecting other animals diet
helps to explain the change in polar bears diet. The article is useful because it looks specifically
at a climate factor that has a direct effect on polar bears.
Hoekstra, Jon. "Learning from Human-Polar Bear Conflict." World Wildlife Federation. N.p., 19
Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/sciencedriven/posts/learning-from-human-polar-bear-conflict>.
This article talks about polar bears in Churchill Manitoba. It says Churchill is the polar
bear capital of the world, and how climate change is a threatening to polar bears. It refers to polar
bears as solitary predators, who only gather on shore while the wait for the ice to refreeze. Due to
arctic sea ice decline, polar bears are spending more time on shore without food. As a result,
polar bears have been wandering closer to humans in search for food. The article talks about a
conflict in 2013 where a man saw a young woman with her head in a polar bears mouth and went
to try and save her. The bear turned on the man and had to be driven off by another young man
who had to shoot at it, then drive at it in his car before it finally left. The bear and a female bear
nearby both had to be killed. They later discovered the female bear had a cub, and it is now
living in captivity. Both the man and woman were injured, but made full recoveries. The article
says how the townspeople were shaken up, since besides a conflict one month before, there had
not been a conflict since 2008. The article also mentions an encounter with a dogsledder, in
which they ask him if the polar bears were a threat to his dogs. The dogsledder said he had never
lost a dog to polar bears, but caught a polar bear sleeping next to his dog house once, and they
have knocked down his dog fence several times.
This article is useful because it provides a good example of conflict between human and
polar bears. It also gave new information, since the story about the conflict in 2013 is located in
other sources, but the cub of the female bear was never mentioned before. Also it gives an
interesting connection by asking a dogsledder on his connection to polar bears.
Holthaus, Eric. "Canadian Town Cancels Outdoor Halloween Because Polar Bears." Slate. N.p.,
20 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. <http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/10/20/
arviat_canada_cancels_trick_or_treating_because_of_polar_bears.html>.
This article talks about a town in Canada that canceled Halloween due to an increasing
number of polar bears. The town of Arviat, Nunavut will not be having outdoor trick or treating
this year for the first time. Instead they will hold an indoor celebration in the town community
center with a haunted house, face paint, and candy. This was necessary because the decrease in
sea ice has been pushing polar bears closer towards the town. The article says how the Hudson
Bay has warmed three degrees Celsius the 1990s, which is more than three times the global rate.
As a result human and bear run ins have become more common, and during peak season
townspeople can see seven to eight bears a day. Although no one has ever been injured by a polar
bear in town, there was a dog attacked last September, and the possibility of conflict is

increasing. The town has built electric fences around its perimeter, as it tries to keep its 2,300
residents safe.
This article was useful because it gives a good example of how climate change is
changing the relationship between humans and bears. It provided good statistics to explain its
point. Also the article was very recent, so the statistics were current. The article also has quotes
from Arviats polar bear monitor, Arviats town senior administrative officer, and the mayor of
Churchill. In addition the article has a picture of a polar bear stuck outside the electric fence
guarding the town.
Leonard, Tom. "Inside the Polar Bear Prison: Forget Death Row." Mail Online. N.p., 5 Nov.
2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2488048/Insidepolar-bear-prison-northern-Canada-town-Churchill.html>.
This article talks about conflicts between polar bears and humans in Churchill Manitoba,
and what is done to prevent them. It says how Churchill has more bears that pass through in
October and November than there are residents. Temperatures there drop to negative twentyeight degrees Celsius in the winter, the town is 200 miles away from any other human
communities, and it is only reachable by train or plane. The article talks about the polar bear jail
located just outside of Churchill. The polar bear jail is located in a former aircraft storage hanger,
and is for bears who repeatedly come into town and cause trouble. The building contains twentyeight cells, with concrete walls and thick steel bars. In order to make the bears stay unpleasant so
they learn their lesson, the are not given any food, since conservationists say they would not have
gotten much food in the wild at this time of year either. They are checked on twice a day,
however the jail does not have a vet on staff. This jail is necessary, due to the danger of polar
bears. Even though many bears ignore Churchill and there has not been a death caused by polar
bears since 1983, the bears are unpredictable and there are many nonfatal conflicts that have
occurred. The article mentions a variety of conflicts where humans were hurt or were almost
hurt. It also contains a list of steps that are taken to drive off a polar bear before it is killed.
This article is useful because it provides a variety of information and gives a large
amount of examples to back it up. It talks a lot about the residents of Churchill and provides a lot
of information on what life is like surrounded by polar bears. In addition, it also has a good range
of pictures.
Mooallem, Jon. Wild Ones. New York: Penguin, 2013. Print.
This source is a book written about how peoples opinions on animals effect animal
conservation. The author went on a journey with his young daughter to look at endangered
animals, then examine the way the people were viewing the animals and how it affected their
actions. The book combines science, history, and writing into a well written piece about polar
bear conservation. The book focuses on three animals, but the first one is polar bears. The polar
bear section of the book revolves mainly around Churchill, which is the polar bear capital of the
world. The author supports the idea that polar bear conservation has to be approached
behaviorally rather than directly, and believes polar bear conservation relies as heavily on
lawyers, celebrities, and lobbyists as it does on scientists. The source focuses on how polar bears
are dependent on the stories told about it. It also focuses the media part of conservation may be
the most important part. One of the most informative statistics given was poll done in 2010 by

Pew Research Center that said only thirty four percent of Americans believed humans were
altering the climate.
This source is helpful because its length allow it to go very in depth on different topics.
The author visited a lot of places he talked about, and therefore shares first person perspectives
of what he is seeing. In addition, the author provides a large number of anecdotes and statistics to
support the ideas put forth in the book.
Polar Bear Conservation Issues." Marine Mammals Management. U.S Fish &
Wildlife Service, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/issues.htm>.
This article is published by the Canadian government and discusses what Canada is doing
to protect polar bears. It says how Canada has around two-thirds of all the polar bears on the
planet, and therefore has a big responsibility in protecting them. The article brings up the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and says how Canada only
exports about three hundred polar bears a year, and it is for subsistence purposes rather than
commercial purposes. The article also talks about what actions Canada is taking to protect polar
bears and says how it works closely with organizations to protect them as best possible. It says
how Canada is limiting hunting and exportation and establishing protected areas for international
countries and trying to push the idea of climate change, in order to stop it to help save the polar
bears habitat. Canada is also conducting a large amount of research to find ways to boost the
population and protect the bears and their environment.
This article is useful because it shows what is already being done to protect the polar
bears. It takes a different approach than most articles have, and is taking the research route rather
than trying to change peoples behavior. This is important to look at because it shows the other
side of polar bear conservation, that includes research, bans, and wildlife preserves.
"Polar Bear Flip-Flop: People Hated, Then Loved These Photos. What Changed?" By Robert
Krulwich. Krulwich Wonders. National Public Radio. NPR, 4 Mar. 2014. Print.
Transcript.
This article starts of by showing a photo of a giant polar bear playing with a dog. It talks
about how a man in Canada who ties his dogs up behind his house started noticing that a polar
bear started showing up every day to play with one of his dogs. The man then told his
photographer friend who came and took pictures. The man then published the pictures in a
National Geographic magazine in 1994. The article describes how much people hated the
pictures. People thought that the poor dog was put there, and that the dog must have been so
scared, and must have been attacked after the pictures stopped. They struggled to accept the idea
that a polar bear might actually be playing with a dog. The same pictures were put online in
2007, thirteen years later, and the reaction was the exact opposite. People loved the pictures, they
watched the video, and even emailed it to friends. They believed the pictures, and the idea of the
two animals playing together wasnt hard for them to grasp.
This article is useful because it shows the bond between people and animals and how as
times change, peoples views of them change. Even though they were the same animals and same
pictures, peoples reactions to them were completely different. The theory behind this was that in
1997 polar bears were still thought of as dangerous, while in 2007 people thought of them as cute

animals that were suffering from global warming and just needed to play. This article is a great
example of how the stories people hear about animals affects their views of them.
"Polar Bears in Manitoba." Species Monitoring. Government of Manitoba, n.d. Web.
19 Oct. 2014. <http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/wildlife/spmon/pbear/
index.html>.
This article describes the effect of climate change on polar bears in Manitoba. It talks
mainly about the current status of polar bears in that region, and what the local government is
doing to protect them. It states that the region has approximately 935 polar bears, with the
exception of pregnant females, that spend most of the year, from around November to July, on
the frozen Hudson Bay. For the rest of the year the bears wait on nearby land for the ice to
reform. As a result of ice melting earlier, bears do not have as much time to gain extra body mass
and extends the time they starve on land. Some studies show that polar bears have been coming
ashore ten kilograms lighter for every week that the ice melts earlier. The government is working
to maintain the number of polar bears, since their condition and reproduction has been steadily
decreasing over the last ten years. The government of Manitoba considers polar bears as a
threatened species, and therefore bans harvesting. The article also says how warm weather can
collapse dens of pregnant females and cubs, and cause fires, which are disastrous since denning
sights cannot be used again until around 70 years after the fire.
This article is useful since it was published by the government of Manitoba on their
website. It gives valuable information on polar bears in one particular area, and what is being
done to protect them. By providing information directly from the government, it gives statistics
that might hard to find elsewhere. It is written towards the public so it straightforward, easy to
understand, and concentrates the information well. Also although it does not give a publication
date, it provides statistics from 2009, implying that it was published after that.
Polar Bears International. BIO, n.d. Web. 21 Sept 2014.
<http://www.polarbearsinternational. org>.
This source is a website for an organization that revolves around polar bears. The purpose
of the organization is to raise awareness about polar bears and also solve problems centered on
polar bears. The organization is linked directly to scientific studies centered on polar bear
population and polar bears in relation to humans. The website provides basic background
information on polar bears, as well as more in depth scientific information specific to different
topics. The organization works in tandem with a group of scientists who are working closely
with wild polar bears to try and track population rates, and look at what can be done to prevent
the environment changes from happening. The website has lots links to research already being
done by the organization, which can help guide other research.
This source is useful because it provides a lot of information specifically to polar bears,
their habitat, and problems they are facing. It provides current polar bear tracking, and has a
variety of pictures and videos with information about polar bears. Also the website provides links
to other organizations and scientists, which can aid in further research. In addition the website
provides other studies, which can help to guide other researchers in asking their questions.
"Polar Bears: Our Ambivalent Attitude toward Wildlife." Million Trees. N.p., 17 Dec. 2013.
Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://milliontrees.me/2013/12/17/polar-bears-our-ambivalent-

attitude-toward-wildlife/>.
This article discusses polar bears in Churchhill, Manitoba and talks mainly about peoples
views towards animals and how they change. The article mentions how Churchhill Manitoba is
the tourism capital for polar bears, since it is the easiest place in the arctic to see polar bears due
to an abandoned military facility able to accommodate tourists. Many people come to Churchhill
to see the effects of climate change themselves, and the article mentions the hypocrisy of using
fossil fuels to fly to see climate change. The statistics mentioned in the article state that there
were 950 polar bears in the Hudson Bay area in 2010, and that the population has declined 20%
over the course of twenty years. Polar bears diet also revolves mainly around seals, however as
the ice melts earlier they are forced to come onto land and try and locate alternate food sources.
It also mentions cases of starving bears cannibalizing their cubs, however the article puts forth
the view that people should look beyond the starving bears and think more deeply about what is
causing their suffering, rather than just watching. In addition, the article puts forth the idea that
the government is not doing enough to help, and calls it incapable. Also it talks about how easily
peoples views on animals change, and mentions the teddy bear example.
This article was useful because it provided information I had already found elsewhere,
but with a different purpose. It also had a variety of pictures and statistics that were useful. In
addition, although it had a recognizable bias towards helping polar bears, it still provided strong
facts to support that idea.
"A Scientist's New Job: Keeping Polar Bears' Plight Public." By Elizabeth Shogren. Weekend
Edition. National Public Radio. NPR, 28 Dec. 2013. Print. Transcript.
This article discusses how the solution to the endangerment of polar bears mostly lies in
the hands of the public rather then scientists. It says how the usual measures for protecting
endangered specie; such as banning pesticides, restricting hunting, and creating reserves, do not
apply for polar bears. Most of the polar bears problems are due to the behavior of humans. The
greenhouse gases humans put into the atmosphere is ultimately what is killing the bears. The
article says the solution to the problem would be to have people reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions. It tells the story of a scientist named Steve Armstrup who quit his job researching how
to help polar bears, and instead now spreads awareness trying to inform people of the polar bears
predicament. The article also provides facts polar bears and how they are starting to lose weight
due to not being able to spend as much time on ice. This is because polar bears get much of their
nutritional value hunting seals on the ice, and without the ice they are unable to gather enough
nutrients.
This article is useful because it provides an interesting viewpoint on how to protect polar
bears. It also gives the story of Armstrup and shows his viewpoint, which is important because he
actually worked in the field of polar bear conservation. Also the information is useful, because
the article provided statistics on the weight change of polar bears, which is a different way to
approach the issue.

Struzik, Ed. "As Arctic Sea Ice Declines, Polar Bear Patrol Gets Busy." Environment 360. Yale,
21 Feb. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.

<http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_arctic_sea_ice_declines_polar_bear_patrol_gets_busy/
2497/>.
This article talks about the relationships between humans and polar bears and how their
relationship is being sculpted by global climate change. The article is centered around Churchill,
Manitoba where polar bears frequently come to wait for the sea ice to refreeze. Churchill has
about 1,000 residents, roughly 300 polar bears on shore, and 10,000 tourists a year who come to
see the bears. The article discusses how the increase in polar bears due to melting ice is causing
more conflicts between humans and polar bears. In 2011 a man heard banging on his front door,
and when he opened it discovered a polar bear standing outside. Because of problems like this,
Churchill even has a polar bear holding facility with 28 cells that can hold troublesome bears
until the ice freezes. In addition, Manitoba has a Polar Bear Alert Team that is constantly busy.
Conservation officers have gotten good at finding ways to safely repel bears, but it is not enough.
The more time polar bears spend on land, the more conflicts there are with humans. The article
says how in 2009, which was warmer, there were 326 conflicts, while in 2010, which was colder,
there were 233 conflicts. The article also talks about how while Manitoba has banned hunting,
Nunavit has not and bears frequently travel there. The government of Nunavit believes polar bear
populations are increasing and recently raised the kill quota from eight bears to twenty-one.
However, the Western Hudson Bay population has declined from 1,200 in 1987 to 900 in 2012.
The article also says how between 1980 and 2007 pregnant females had lost 110 pounds in body
mass, which is affecting reproduction. Also scientist believe that the increase in bear sightings is
troubling since it means they are spending more time on land and are getting desperate enough to
enter villages looking for food. The article predicts all polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay
will either die in the next few decades, or need to be fed by humans to survive.
This article provided a variety of different information and statistics. It was also helpful
because it provided information looking at both sides. It also gave a unique insight on the
increase in human and polar bear conflict and what is being done to prevent these conflicts.
Unger, Zac. "The Truth about Polar Bears." Canadian Geographic Dec. 2012:13. Canadian
Geographic. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/dec12/polar_bears.asp>.
This article shows both sides of the polar bear conservation argument. It shows statistics
explaining why some people think polar bears need assistance and some people think they are
doing fine. It talks about how polar bears gather in Churchill for the winter while they wait for
the ice to freeze. Churchill is a massive tourism capital because it is one of the most accessible
places with polar bears. The article provides statistics saying how polar bear populations and
sightings have increased over the years. For example, the population of polar bears in the
Western Hudson Bay in 1994 was 1194, and in 2004 it was 935, so scientists projected the 2011
population would drop to 676, however in 2012 it was 1013. This population growth would
suggest that polar bears are actually thriving and their population is increasing. However, the
article then provides information saying that these population counts may not even be accurate
since polar bear tracking is incredibly difficult due to a variety of mentioned factors. It provides
information from the Polar Bear Specialist Group stating that ten of the nineteen subpopulations
have insufficient population data. The article also shows the other side by saying how even
though population trends look stable, bears have been suffering from weight loss and, one study

predicted that 40 to 73 percent of pregnant females could fail to deliver healthy cubs if ice
breakup happens one month earlier than in the 1990s. This is a significant fact considering how
slowly bears reproduce. The article also points out how an increase of bear sightings could be a
sign that they are doing worse, since bears will only wander into villages if they are desperate
and they are easier to spot from the air on land rather than on ice. It also looks at it from a
different perspective and brings up the fact that different subpopulations of polar bears are
affected differently by global warming. Bears up north where the ice is very thick year round
could benefit from some ice thinning and might even be able to hunt better, while bears down
south where they are used to having summers with no ice would have a huge issue if the small
amount of ice they had melted. The article also goes in depth on other factors that affect polar
bears besides global warming, hunting and relation with native tribes, and how it is hard to truly
know how polar bears are doing and what will happen in the future.
This article is helpful because of the amount of information and statistics it gives, and all
the different viewpoints it takes. It is relatively unbiased and provides information on both sides
of the issue allowing the reader to choose. Overall the article provides a large amount of
information and also includes quotes from scientists and organizations directly linked to polar
bears.
"Why Do We Care about Some Animals More than Others?" Perf. Jon Mooallem. Hosted by
Guy Raz. Ted Talks. National Public Radio. NPR, 5 Sept. 2014. Radio.
The article discusses the relationship between humans and animals and how peoples
feelings towards different animals have changed over the years based on media. It talks about
how in 1902 President Roosevelt decided not to shoot a bear while hunting, and after a political
cartoon was made, the teddy bear was born. During this time people were also starting to move
to cities and separate themselves from bears, so they was increasingly less reason to fear the
bears. This example shows how before Roosevelt people thought bears were horrible and scary,
but after the creation of the teddy bear and the separation between people and bears, people
began to think of them as cute and cuddly. The article focuses on the idea of the separation
between people and animals and how that affects peoples views on animals. It talks about how
the bears were being systematically killed off before the teddy bear was released, and after
people started to have doubts about killing them. The article explains this back and forth as a
power struggle, saying It seems like we're always stuck between demonizing a species and
wanting to wipe it out. And then when we get very close to doing that, empathizing with it as an
underdog and wanting to show it compassion. So we exert our power. But then we're unsettled
by how powerful we are.
This article is useful because it provides a good description of the relationships between
humans and animals well. It provides a variety of good examples and statistics to support its
ideas. In addition, it is written by a credible author and is recent.

"You're the Last. The Very Last One. Now What Happens?" By Robert Krulwich. Krulwich
Wonders. National Public Radio. NPR, 11 Feb. 2014. Transcript.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2014/02/10/274696130/if-you-re-the-last-of-yourkind-the-final-one-what-happens-to-you-3-case-studies
This article describes how animals are given little to no attention after they actually go
extinct. It says how many people think that once an animal is the last, it would become a
celebrity of sorts or be honored as the last of its kind, but contrary to popular belief that does not
always happen. It goes in depth on how even though people think extinctions should be honored
and remembered, once there is only one or none left of a species people tend to just forget about
them and move on. The article provides a lot of good examples such as a bird that went extinct
that was given its own seat on an airline, but now it sits in storage at a museum. Another example
was the Tasmanian tiger and how the very last one was mistreated, and once dead was disposed
of in the garbage after its death. It talks about other species that were completely abandoned once
there was only one left.
This article is useful because of how it talks about the relationship with humans and
animals and how that changes once the animal goes extinct. It also goes in depth on the idea of
extinction and people not realizing how big of a deal it is for an animal to go extinct. In addition,
it contains pictures and videos of the topics it discusses, including a video of the extinct
Tasmanian tiger three years before its extinction.
Abrams, Lindsay. "When Polar Bears Attack: How Climate Change Is Creating a New Breed of
Unlikely Killers." Salon. N.p ., 22 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.salon.com/2014/11/22/when_polar_bears_attack_how_climate_change_is_c
reating_a_new_breed_of_unlikely_killers/.
This article discusses how polar bears lack of food is leading them to become more
violent and aggressive. The article is basically an interview that the author of the article
conducted with the author of the book Meltdown: Terror at the Top of the World, Sabrina
Shankman. The book is a true story about seven American hikers who went to Northern Canada
to experience nature and had some run ins with polar bears while they were there. The author
was offered the story while working as a journalist and immediately got in touch with the
survivors of the trip. Shankman linked the story of the hiker experience with polar bear
aggression to climate change, and the decrease of food for bears. She even went up north to
experience it herself, and talks about how she was shocked at the number of polar bears she saw.
This article was useful because it gave a lot of information on how polar bear behavior is
directly linked with conservation. It contained an interview with an author who herself had been
up north and also conducted other interviews with people in northern Canada. In addition, the
article contains pictures and quotes from other important people.
Center for Biological Diversity. Extinction. Its Not Just for Polar Bears. By Shaye Wolf. Center
for Biological Diversity. N.p., Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law_institute/the_arctic_meltdow
n/pdfs/ArcticExtinctionReport_Final.pdf>.
This report by the Center for Biological Diversity focuses on extinction, and two pages
are dedicated to discussing the polar bear. It talks about how the polar bear has become a climate
change icon. The polar bear relies on sea ice for all of its activities necessary for survival, so the

ice melting has brought attention to its struggle. The polar bears rely on the ice to hunt seals, and
the decrease in ice has lead to a decrease in food for them. It talks about how the two most
studied populations, Hudson Bay and Beaufort Sea, are experiencing decreased body conditions
and early death. Bears are also becoming stranded on land, and that also leads to a decrease in
population. Many bears drown trying to swim across large bodies of water, and the increased
time on land causes more human polar bear conflict which usually results in the polar bear being
killed. The declining snow is also making it harder for females to built dens to shelter them and
their cubs. The article also provides facts about polar bears path to extinction. It says how eight
of the nineteen polar bear subpopulations are currently in decline, and if trends continue then
two-thirds of the world polar bear population could be gone by 2050.
This article was useful because it provided a large amount of information regarding polar
bears and the future they will most likely face. The article provides easy to read information and
has pictures to support its points. It is slightly bias because the goal of the CBD is to protect
polar bears so the information is one sided.
Center for Biological Diversity. On Thin Ice. Center for Biological Diversity. N.p., May 2013.
Web. 11 Jan. 2015. <http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/
polar_bear/pdfs/On_Thin_Ice.pdf>.
This article talks about how in 2013, five years after being listed on the endangered
species act, the polar bears are still in a lot of trouble. The Endangered Species Act saves 99
percent of species listed from extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity believes that the
reason the polar bear is not getting these results, is because global warming is not addressed. The
article looks at five key factors nesscary for polar bear survival; arctic sea ice, arctic
temperatures, carbon emissions, population, and policies. Arctic sea ice is heavily depended upon
by polar bears, but it recently has been hitting record lows in all categories. Arctic temperatures
have also been dramatically increasing, and the arctic is currently warming two times faster than
the rest of the world. Carbon emissions have increased more than thirteen percent since 2008,
and eight of the nineteen polar bear populations are currently declining. The CBD also believes
that the Obama Administration is not fulfilling its responsibilities towards supporting policies
that could aid polar bears, and give multiple examples. In addition, the article provides a large
amount of background information about polar bears.
This article was useful because it provided a large amount of information on the
conservation of polar bears. It contained a lot of facts about both the Endangered Species Act and
factors affecting polar bear conservation. The information was easy to read and well organized,
and contained pictures and tables to convey the message.
"Executive Summary of AZA's Partnership with Polar Bears International. Associations
of Zoos and Aquariums. N.p., 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <https://www.aza.org/PolarBears-International/>.
This source displays the relationships between zoos and aquariums and Polar Bears
International. It is written by the National Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and talks about
the efforts being made to support polar bears. It mentions how the AZA has over 200 member
institutions, who serve audiences bigger then all combined major sporting events. Their main
partner is Polar Bears International, which the article summarizes. The goal of the partnership is

to work to conserve animals through leadership and spread of information. The two
organizations mainly focus on engaging Americans in conservation and trying to change their
mindset about the earth. They are working together to educate Americans about what needs to be
done to prevent further climate change. Their goals include working to develop ways to connect
to the public, promoting awareness against climate destruction, researching in order to form
successful programs for spreading information, and working together to unite people and
organizations for this important cause.
This source is useful because it contains connections between polar bear science and the
local real world. It shows how people who live away from polar bears are still concerned even
thought they are not directly affected. In addition, it provides a large amount of information as
well as current goals being worked on by zoos and aquariums.
Joyce, Christopher. "Arctic Is Warming Twice as Fast as World Average." Natl. Public Radio.
18 Dec. 2014. Transcript. NPR. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.npr.org/2014/12/18/371438087/arctic-is-warming-twice-as-fast-as-worldaverage>.
This article focuses on the new data saying that the Arctic is warming up twice as fast as
the rest of the globe. The trend also appears to be going steady, and shows minimal signs of
stopping. A group of over sixty scientists from thirteen countries, release an Arctic report card
every year, and the 2014 one contained information also regarding the Artics accelerated
warming. The article also has quotes from US Army Corp polar scientist, Jackie Richter-Menge,
and explains some of her findings. It explains Arctic amplification, describing how once ice
starts to melt it exposes darker regions, and the darker regions absorb more light therefore
accelerating the melting process. Another problem is that the lower and lower the ice gets, the
warmer temperatures it has to fight off. This is because lower elevations tend to be warmer, so
every distance the ice melts makes a huge difference. The warmer water has also caused a
growth of plankton, but scientists are still unsure of whether this is a threat to the ecosystem or
not. The article also mentions polar bears, mentioning the strong connection between them and
the ice. Basically, in places where the ice is at usual levels, the bears are doing alright, but in
places with unusually low ice, the bears have been struggling recently.
This article was helpful, because it had a large amount of information about global
warming and how it connects to polar bears. It contains quotes from a geophysicist and a polar
scientist with the US Army Corp of Engineers. It also contained pictures and is recent so its has
relevant information.
"Man, Woman Attacked by Polar Bear in Churchill." CBC News. N.p., 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 11
Jan. 2015. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/man-woman-attacked-by-polarbear-in-churchill-1.2325208>.
This article is an online news article about a polar bear attack that occurred in late fall of
2013. The victims of the attack were a sixty nine year old man and a thirty year old woman. Both
the victims were in stable condition after the attack, but the two polar bears were killed. The
woman was out walking when she encountered a polar bear and the man heard her shouts and
went outside to see what was happening. He tried to distract the polar bear away from her, but
the polar bear turned on him. The main injuries from the attack were just lacerations and the

victims were bloody and in pain, but would have no permanent damage. The bears however,
were shot and killed since they were viewed as future threats. The article then talks about other
attack that have happened recently in Churchill. They mention an attack in September 2013
where a man was cornered in the street by a bear, but managed to escape by distracting the bear
with his cell phone light. In addition, the article discusses how bears are more aggressive and
agitated because of the lack of food.
This article is useful because it discusses polar bear attacks and focuses on how generally
the polar bears end up more injured than the person they attacked. It provides the reasons for
these attacks, and contains quotes from people who have been attacked and a Senior instructor at
the university of Manitoba. Overall it contains a large amount of information showing the
behavioral changes in polar bears as a result of their increased hunger.
Mooallem, Jon. Telephone interview. 24 Nov. 2014.
This source was a personally conducted interview with Jon Mooallem, who is an author
that writes about peoples views on animals. He studies mainly the psychology of people, and he
says how watching people attempt to solve problems is what interests him. Conservation is a
very unique problem because it is so emotional and people have a difficult time solving it
because there is no way to ask the other party involved if they are content with a solution. He has
spent a large amount of time in Churchill studying polar bear human interaction and gathering
data on them. The conclusion he has come to is that climate change is a tricky problem because
people have so much power and they do not realize that the stories they tell about an animal can
affect its survival. Another dangerous factor is that people who believe climate change is not real
are very unlikely to change their minds, since studies show the more information you give
someone the more they believe their opinion. He talks about how the main problem of many
conservation groups is trying to influence people to feel a certain way or do a certain thing. They
have had trouble because climate change is such an emotional problem people tend to get
attached to the side they are on.
This source was helpful because it was a personal interview that was tailored directly to
the topic of how polar bear human interaction affects their conversation. The information came
directly from an expert in the field, and it was interesting to get a first person point of view from
someone who works studying peoples reactions to different things. In addition, it was very
helpful because everything was clear since anything not understood could be explained.
Polar Bear Cam. Animal Planet L!ve. Animal Planet, Ongoing. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.apl.tv/explore-polar-bears.htm>.
This source is a live video feed of 2014 polar bear migration in Churchill, Manitoba. The
bears migrate to the shore of the Hudson Bay, where they wait for the ice to refreeze for the
winter. The ice refreeze is crucial for the bears survival because on the ice in the winter is when
the bears do a majority of their hunting. The live video is available online from late October to
late November. There are four different cameras that can be chosen from depending on where
activity is. The website says that the best hours for viewing are from ten to five pm Eastern
Standard Time. The feed also shows the current number of people watching, as well as the total
number of views. The cameras are funded by reputable sources such as Animal Planet, Polar
Bears International, and Frontiers North Adventures. The website the live stream is on also

provides basic background information on bears.

This source is helpful because it provides current visual information on the status polar
bears. It is not biased, since it shows what is happening, and the viewer interprets the information
itself. This ties into polar bear conservation, because it shows the bears after a summer of fasting,
and allows people to see their current state. In addition, this is another example of the media
effecting conservation, since people could react in different ways to various views of polar bears
on camera.
Polar Bear Specialist Group. IUCN/SSC, 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
<http://pbsg.npolar.no/en/>.
This source is a website for the International Union of Nature polar bear specialist group.
The website contains a large amount of scientific data on many different polar bear topics. It
shows circumpolar studies, population studies, and gives access to a number of scientific papers.
It has in depth information on the population status and also provides an interactive map of the
subpopulations and information on their current populations. In addition, it has a section
dedicated to sharing the scientific methods polar bear scientists frequently use. It also has a large
section about conservation issues, and information on protection history, threats, harvest
regulations, and the redlist. The website also has information on various conventions and
meetings that have taken place, as well as summaries of the meetings, the results, and the effects.
This website provides a large amount of information on all aspects of polar bears.
Although the organization works to protect polar bears, most of the information is facts and
statistics and all opinions are backed up. This website was also useful because it provided many
links to other sources, recent news, scientific studies, documents from meetings of the
organization, other websites and organizations, and software used to track polar bears. In
addition, it has an about page as well as a sponsor page that contain connections to other
professionals in the field.
"Shrinking Sea Ice Could Put Polar Bears in Grave Peril by 2100." By Nell Greenfieldboyce.
Hosted by Ari Shapiro. Perf. Stephen Hamilton. All Things Considered. Natl. Public
Radio. 26 Nov. 2014. Transcript. NPR. Web. 7 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.npr.org/2014/11/26/366851836/shrinking-sea-ice-could-put-polar-bears-ingrave-peril-by-2100>.
This radio broadcast was about polar bears and what their future will be like if climate
changes continues at its current rate. Scientists project polar bears will face serious problems in
the near future if climate change is not curbed. The article gives background information on sea
ice and says how bears rely on ice to hunt their main food sources, ringed and bearded seals. In
northern regions, sea ice stays frozen year round, while in more southern areas ice melts for
periods during the summer. Scientists believe that as global warming increases there will be
longer ice free periods everywhere, including the far north where one fourth of the worlds polar
bears live. Scientists have found that in the Hudson Bay, even a 120 day ice-free period causes
starvation in some adult males. They estimate if this increased to a 180 day ice-free period, over
20% of bears could starve. They believe this will not affect the bears in the far north until the
second half of the century or even 2100. However, the bears in the south have already started to
feel the effects of this. The southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation dropped from 1,500 to 900

bears from 2001 to 2010.

This article was useful because, it looked at the future rather then the past. It used current
statistics to predict the future, rather then using past statistics to explain the present. It provided a
lot of useful statistics and information, and many accredited scientists such as Steve Armstrup
and Stephen Hamilton contributed.
Siegel, Kassie, et al. Not Too Late to Save the Polar Bear. Center for Biological Diversity. N.p.,
17 Oct. 2007. Web. 11 Jan. 2015. <http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/
papers/ ArcticMeltdown.pdf>.
This article talks about the decline of the polar bear and what can be done to help them. It
was written in 2007 and predicts the 2008 listing of the polar bear on the Endangered Species
Act. The article then goes on to call the prediction of polar bear extinction by 2050 optimistic.
It talks about how countries are staking claims in newly ice free areas so they can mine for fossil
fuels, rather than working to find ways to refreeze the ice. The article goes in depth on why the
polar bears depend so heavily on the sea ice, and what a decrease in it will mean for their
survival. It has a powerful photo of a polar bear in the final stages of starvation. The article also
addresses ways of reducing greenhouse gases fast enough to stop the arctic from melting. It says
how the severity of the polar bears is at a level where it cannot be handed off to the next
generation, or else there will be nothing to hand off to the next generation. The CBD is working
to incorporate global warming into federal agency decisions. The goal is to target global
warming, since that is the bears main enemy, but in the meantime they are also working to
decrease other stressors that may be affecting the polar bears.
This article is written by very esteemed people at the CBD, but has a slight bias since
they are working to protect polar bears so only information supporting conservation is given.
However the article is very factual and contains a lot of solid information to back up its ideas. In
addition, it has pictures and graphs to help convey information.
Stirling, Ian, and Andrew E. Derocher. Effects of Climate Warming on Polar Bears: A
Review of the Evidence. Research rept. no. 18. Blackwell, 2012. Digital file.
This article was a comprehensive research report that described all aspects of the polar
bears current situation. The study looked at various pieces of evidence describing how climate
change is effecting the bears long term survival. Out of nineteen subpopulations, eight are
declining and seven are date deficient, which means scientists are unable to track the bears in the
harsh environment. The authors believe that if the temperature continues rising, all
subpopulations will suffer. It begins by giving a background of polar bears and global warming,
then moves on to talk about the effects of earlier ice breakup. Many statistics are provided about
earlier ice breakup and rising temperatures and their relationships to polar bears. The article also
focuses a lot on pregnant females and cubs and the effects that the changing climate would have
on them. Warmer temperatures and more rain were causing maternity dens to collapse, and also
increasing the number of diseases and parasites. The correlation between earlier ice breakup
dates and increased polar bear interaction with humans is also mentioned. The article is unique in
that it looks at the effect of global warming on ringed seals as well. Ringed seals are the polar
bears main food source, and the change in ice melting dates is harming them as well. The seals
maternity dens are collapsing, and bears are not able to hunt the seal pups when they have 50%

body fat. The article closes by saying the bears will not be able to just adapt.
This article was useful because of the massive amount of information it provided. It also
provided various graphs, including one that predicted all the way to 2100. In addition, it had a
picture of a female polar bear that was crushed after her maternity den collapsed on her.