WWF has successfully advocated for the creation of an international polar bear management plan. WWF is addressing climate change, reducing conflict, monitoring populations, and reducing industrial impacts.
eDNA sampling will be quicker, cheaper and less invasive than traditional methods used to monitor populations and has great potential to be applied to a wide range of biodiversity, including most mammal species, as well as birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, plants, even bacteria and viruses. Animals naturally shed DNA through their feces, skin and hair which scientists can extract from a sample of water or soil. One way WWF is doing this is through collecting eDNA (also known as environmental DNA) from polar bear footprints left in the snow. It's important to know as much as possible about polar bears in order to best protect them.
What is WWF doing to protect polar bears?
