Green group urges Canadians to adopt a polar bear
Copyright 2001 Reuters
November 22, 2001
TORONTO - Canadians can give the environment a big bear hug this winter if they adopt a polar bear in a program sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.
The symbolic adoption program is designed to raise funds to be used for ongoing research by World Wildlife Fund Canada to stem the decline of polar bear populations in the Arctic.
Currently, there are fewer than 25,000 polar bears roaming the Canadian Arctic, and some populations, such as those along Hudson Bay, could become extinct within a century, according to the WWF.
Researchers are currently working on projects that include examining the effects of global warming on the bears' diet, as well as monitoring the effects of industrial pollution on the general Arctic environment.
Adoption kits include a personalized adoption certificate, a photograph of a polar bear, and a report outlining research by WWF-Canada in the Arctic.
The kits range between C$25 and C$100 ($16 and $63) - depending on how many bears are adopted.