Between snowy winters and holiday songs, many animals come to mind during Christmas. There are polar bears wearing Santa hats and red-nosed reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. Turtle doves and the partridge in a pear tree are also immortalized in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” But climate change and habitat loss are taking a toll on many beloved animals we associate with the holiday. Polar bears Christmas is a winter holiday in northern countries, which is why cold weather animals like polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are often associated with the festive season. They are also a poster species for climate change, with the Arctic warming almost four times faster than most of the rest of the world. As melting sea ice diminishes their habitat and causes shifting ice conditions, recent research shows polar bears are developing life-threatening paw injuries. Currently, polar bears are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The IUCN estimates there are roughly 26,000 polar bears globally with three out of the 19 subpopulations in decline. The IUCN reported in 2014 that one subpopulation increased and six remain stable but there are insufficient data to assess the nine remaining subpopulations. Reindeer Santa’s presents would be stuck at the melting North Pole without his famous reindeer, but like polar bears, reindeer are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Although the population is in the millions, some subspecies face threats and are declining…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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