International Polar Bear Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Monday, February 27th. There are until the next observance.

On February 27, International Polar Bear Day promotes awareness about polar bear challenges and strategies to lessen our carbon impact. Climate change is a major danger to the survival of polar bears, and it is up to us to take action and preserve their future. Polar bears are marine mammals, with a thick layer of body fat and a water-repellent coat to keep them warm against the freezing cold air and water they encounter on the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice. International Polar Bear Day is a great way to show how important it is to protect these beautiful animals’ habitat, which is getting smaller and smaller.

📆 When is International Polar Bear Day?

This year, International Polar Bear Day is on February 27th. It is the 4th Monday in February; in 2024, it is on Tuesday.

Countdown to International Polar Bear Day

Did you know: Polar bears are the world’s biggest carnivorous terrestrial animals.

You can also view all fascinating things you didn’t know about and facts about February 27, 2023.

📜 History of International Polar Bear Day

For thousands of years, indigenous societies have lived in the Arctic and hunted polar bears, contributing to a healthy Arctic ecology. All of that changed in the 1700s, when hunters from Europe, Russia, and North America began to drastically reduce the polar bear population. Without any laws, anyone could catch as many polar bears as they wanted, and the species perished as a result.

Things were becoming worse by the 1950s as the use of fossil fuels increased. The burning of coal, oil, and gas destroyed sea ice, causing ocean levels to increase and altering the polar bear’s ecosystem. Environmental groups started to speak up for the polar bear, but their complaints were often ignored by governments who didn’t want to do more to protect the Arctic and, by extension, the polar bears.

The United States, Denmark, Norway, and the former Soviet Union signed the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and Their Habitat in 1973. The agreement prohibited commercial hunting, and the United States government designated polar bears as endangered. Polar Bears International (PBI) was started in 1994 as a non-profit organization with the goal of protecting the endangered polar bear through action plans.

In 2011, they made the first International Polar Bear Day, and it has been celebrated every year since then.

☑️ International Polar Bear Day facts

Winter weight
After a good hunting season, a big male polar bear’s weight might quadruple to 1,700 pounds.

Carnivorous
Polar bears are mostly carnivores who feed on seals.

Record fast
Female bears have the longest fasting period of any animal species, lasting around 180 days.

Things to do on International Polar Bear Day

Let your voice be heard
Learn about the environmental politics that influence you. Investigate your local and national officials’ positions on climate change and keep this in mind when you vote. You may also contact your politicians and express your concern about the environment.

Get creative with it
Polar Bear International has a number of resources available to help raise awareness of this subject. You can use their temporary profile frame to modify your Facebook profile photo and get eye-catching stickers for promotional artwork. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #InternationalPolarBearDay.

Become a community action superhero
Reduce your carbon impact by using community action toolkits close to home. The four obstacles are: thermostat conservation information, electronics laws, transportation accounts, and bicycle information. Even from the comfort of your own home, you can make a difference.

📅 International Polar Bear Day Observances

YEAR DATE DAY
2024 February 27 Tuesday
2025 February 27 Thursday
2026 February 27 Friday
2027 February 27 Saturday
2028 February 27 Sunday

Explore all February holidays, including Cause and other Environment holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about International Polar Bear Day. So be sure to check back soon.