Problem

The Arctic habitat of the polar bear has provided them with a protection that other temperate and tropical bear species have not enjoyed. Unfortunately, in addition to the melting of the sea ice, worldwide industrial practices also threaten the polar bear in a variety of ways. Petroleum extraction involves a great deal of heavy industrial machinery and activity, and that means noise. But how disturbing is this noise to polar bears?

The Gift

Your gift will enable our research and conservation team at the San Diego Zoo to understand how sensitive the polar bears' hearing is in order to estimate what types of loud noises would be disturbing or damaging to their social communication and overall hearing ability.