Hobbies And Interests
Polar Bear
Polar bears live in the tundra regions of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia. They have been threatened since the 1960s by human overhunting of seals, which are one of the polar bear's main sources of food. Since hunting restrictions have come into effect, polar bear populations have increased. However, they currently face danger from global warming. Rising temperatures all over the globe have decreased the amount of ice in the Arctic, causing polar bears to live in habitats to which they are not adapted.
Beluga Whale
Beluga whales live in arctic seas and waterways in Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia. Belugas feed on fish in shallow waters, and also feed off the sea floor. Because they are near the top of the food chain, belugas ingest toxins found in the sea and in the smaller fish they eat. These toxins result from human pollution of the belugas' habitat; pesticides and pollutants accumulate in the tissue of the whales, and threaten the species' survival.
Peary Caribou
Peary caribou live in the north of Canada and Greenland. The species numbered about 3 million animals in 1940. Since then, it has dwindled to about two thousand animals. Human invasion of caribou habitat for mining and development has forced them to live on less land, leaving less food available to them. Mass starvation wiped out a huge number of caribou in the 1970s; as of this writing, climate change poses an even greater threat to this species' food supply. Rising temperatures cause more precipitation to fall in the form of snow, covering grass and moss with a sheet of ice that caribou can't penetrate.
Harlequin Duck
The Harlequin duck lives in the tundras of Russia, Greenland, Alaska and Canada. It is identifiable by its beautiful white, chestnut brown and black plumage. Harlequin ducks are endangered by hydroelectric developments in their habitat, and by oil spills and human pollution. In addition, pesticides sprayed over vast areas have depleted the insect larvae on which these ducks feed.