Conservation of Polar Bears in Canada

Canada is home to approximately 16 000 of the estimated 20 000–25 000 polar bears in the global polar regions. It is no wonder that the polar bear, an icon of Canada’s wildlife heritage, is of great cultural significance to the Canadian people. For the Inuit and many northern communities, polar bears are especially significant culturally, spiritually and economically. Canada has a unique conservation responsibility to protect these iconic creatures. This is one reason why Canada has increased investment in monitoring efforts in recent years.