Why do polar bears have white fur? And 10 other polar bear facts

Polar bears are marine mammals vital to Arctic ecosystems that rely on sea ice for hunting ringed seals and breeding. They face severe threats from climate change, which causes the loss of sea ice habitat, and increasing industrial impacts such as offshore petroleum operations. WWF is working to protect the species through eDNA monitoring, climate advocacy, and community-based conflict reduction projects in Alaska and Russia.

• Polar bears are classified as marine mammals that depend on sea ice for resting, breeding, and accessing their primary food source, ringed seals. Their physical adaptations for the Arctic include a double-layered coat, a thick layer of body fat, and hollow hairs with no white pigment over black skin to provide camouflage.
• The most significant threat to polar bear survival is the loss of sea ice habitat caused by climate change, leading to their listing as a threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act in May 2008. Other threats include overharvesting, polar bear-human conflicts, and industrial impacts from offshore petroleum installations, where oil spills could be fatal.
• The global wild polar bear population is estimated between 22,000 and 31,000 individuals, divided into 19 subpopulations, with 60% of these subpopulations located in Canada.
• WWF employs several strategies to protect polar bears, including the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) from footprints for less invasive population monitoring, advocating for an international management plan, and implementing conflict-reduction tools in Russia and Alaska such as electric fencing and bear-proof food storage.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Why do polar bears have white fur? And 10 other polar bear facts. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/why-do-polar-bears-have-white-fur-and-10-other-polar-bear-facts/

Chicago

WWF International. Why do polar bears have white fur? And 10 other polar bear facts. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/why-do-polar-bears-have-white-fur-and-10-other-polar-bear-facts/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Why do polar bears have white fur? And 10 other polar bear facts |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/why-do-polar-bears-have-white-fur-and-10-other-polar-bear-facts/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndwhy, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Why do polar bears have white fur? And 10 other polar bear facts}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/why-do-polar-bears-have-white-fur-and-10-other-polar-bear-facts/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }