National Polar Bear Day-also known as International Polar Bear everywhere but the U.S-is a holiday that falls on the 27th of February every year. This is a holiday that’s designed to raise attention to the plight of polar bears and their struggle against human-induced climate change. Temperatures in the Arctic have been rising steadily over the past few decades and as a result, polar bears are losing their environment.

The History Of National Polar Bear Day

This holiday was created in 2011 by Polar Bear International-an organization that’s dedicated to educating the public about polar bears and the challenges they face, as well as advocate directly on their behalf. Every year since it was established, this holiday continues to grow and more people are beginning to get involved in the cause.

Facts About Polar Bears

The more a person learns about polar bears the more fascinated they become. That’s because polar bears are one of the most interesting animals on the planet. Anyone who thinks that we’re exaggerating might want to check out the following interesting facts about them below.

• Polar bear’s bodies are built for the cold with a layer of fat that can measure up to 4.5 inches thick.
• Polar bear’s fur isn’t white, it’s translucent. It appears white because it reflects visible light.
• The skin underneath a polar bear’s fur is black-which helps to hold on to warmth from sunlight.
• Polar bears can swim up to 6 miles-per-hour in water, and they can cover long distances by swimming.
• Polar bears only catch prey on their hunts 2% of the time. The rest of the time they scavenge carcasses or eat small mammals, birds, or vegetation.
• A Pizzly is a rare hybrid that occurs when polar bears mate with grizzly bears.
• Full-grown male polar bears can weigh as much as 17764 pounds.
• Polar bears can smell their prey from just over a mile.
• These animals can become overheated if the temperature rises above 60-degrees Fahrenheit.

Celebrating National Polar Bear Day

One of the first steps to appreciating this holiday is by taking some time to learn about polar bears. There are plenty of books and documentaries on these fascinating animals that will teach a person about their diet, eating habits, and their environment. Once a person has learned about polar bears, they should then take the time to consider helping the cause of saving polar bears. This can be done by donating to an organization that helps polar bears such as Polar Bear International, or some other likeminded organization. People can also use the hashtag #NationalPolarBearDay or #InternationalPolarBearDay to spread the news about this holiday so more people will take part and hopefully, help save the polar bears.