Photo Gallery Wildlife under Threat
The polar bear: As of 2005, the planet's polar bear population was estimated at 20,000 to 25,000 animals. Because of polar ice melt, both the IUCN and US government have placed the animal on their endangered species lists.
The musk ox More closely related to the goat than to cows, populations of the musk ox have again been increased to around 150,000 thanks to protective measures and the reintroduction of the once endangered shaggy creatures.
The narwhale Around 40,000 to 50,000 of these species exist worldwide. A recent study, however, found that the highly specialized sea mammal is about as threatened by climate change as the polar bear.
The walrus A Pacific Ocean subspecies is still more common, but it is in even greater danger from climate change than the Atlantic Ocean population. The disappearing number of ice floes in the Arctic has deprived mothers and their babies of important restplaces in the north Pacific. The Atlantic walrus, however, prefers coastal areas.
The ivory gull The sod found on ice surfaces is crucial to the survival of the ivory gull. At the start of the 1980s, the population stand was still at 25,000 pairs, but it has since fallen dramatically.
