Polar Bears face another risk to extinction apart from the ever threatening global warming destruction of their habitat.
They are being relentlessly hunted as trophies reports the "The Independent On Sunday" (9 September 2007, p.6)
According to journalist Geoffrey Lean reporting from Ilulissat, Greenland, companies that advertise trophy hunts in the arctic regions are popping up on the internet like mushrooms and the hunters, exploiting a loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, are allowed to actually get licenses to import polar bear trophies into the U.S. from Canada. Accordin gto "The Independent" and mr Lean, 953 licenses have been granted or applied since 1994 and the number is increasing.
David Randall and Jonathan Owen report that "sportsmen" pay up to 35,000$ (£17,000)per trip to hunt and kill polar bears.
An investigation of the Independent on Sunday has identified "[...]10 companies offering polar bear hunting trips. On many of their websites are images of bloody bear carcasses[...]" the journalists further down state "Some animals appear to have several wounds, indicating that their deaths were less the climax of to a sport and more a slow execution on ice" (Independent on Sunday 9/9/07 p.7)
Apparently 1,000 bears are killed every year out of the 22,000-25,000 remaining worldwide.
I was shocked and appalled by these news and thought that I should bring it to the attention of the community. I understand native hunters hunting bears to survive nut rich people killing them for fun...that's where I draw the line.
I found this petition on line to stop licensing Polar Bear Hunting.
The least we can do to help is sign the petition. If interested follow this [link]
Please sign and spread the word.
Thank you