Programme Coordinator — Ivan Pazhetnov, Moscow Zoo, Russia
The polar bear is the largest land carnivore native to the Arctic. These animals evolved to adapt to their ice environment. Polar bears live across the Arctic in Canada, Russia, Norway, Greenland, and the USA (Alaska), with an estimated total population of about 26,000 individuals.
The polar bear is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable (VU). Climate warming causing both the reduction in extent and thickness of multi-year sea ice and fragmentation of the ice sheet is recognized as the most critical long-term threat to polar bears. Besides, polar bears are threatened with the anthropogenic pressure including, among others, human-caused mortality and pollution and intensive exploitation of the Arctic.
The programme on the ex situ conservation of the polar bear has been developed as a part of the strategy of the conservation of rare and threatened species of animals.
Goal of the Programme:
1.Managing demographically and genetically healthy zoo population of the polar bear:
- coordination of polar bear transfer and breeding processes;
- carrying out genetic testing of polar bears to determine genetic statuses of individuals;
- providing recommendations on the design and construction of the facilities for polar bears;
- developing recommendations on the polar bear diets depending on the life cycle stage;
- developing recommendations on the training, behavioural enrichment and veterinary care of polar bears;
- holding advanced training courses for the polar bear keepers and zoologists;
- developing proposal for the amendment to the “Resolution of the Government of the Russian federation No 1937 on the approval of the requirements to the use of animals for cultural and entertainment purposes and animal husbandry”.
2. Support of the in situ conservation projects:
- preparation of rapid response teams for the prompt resolution of issues related to "conflict" polar bears (the lectures to be held for representatives of the Arctic regions on the biology, transportation and social behaviour of the polar bear, as well as on causes of conflict situations and approaches to their resolution);
- training on the resolution of human-bear conflicts (the training to be conducted directly at thу places where contacts between people and polar bears most frequently occur).
