Polar Bear In Trouble, Not Endangered - Canada Panel
The polar bear, a symbol of Canada's far north as well as the effects of climate change on the sensitive Arctic environment, is in trouble, but it is not endangered or threatened with extinction, a Canadian advisory panel said on Friday. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada gave the polar bear its weakest classification, that of "special concern", but the Canadian government would nonetheless have to develop a management plan to protect the animals if it agrees with the new label.