Unbearable

Winter can be a bad time for bears. Helpless, asleep in their dens, they are easy targets for trophy hunters. In Russia, the killing of denning Brown Bears leaves thousands of cubs orphaned every year. Many die, while others become attractions in circuses and roadside zoos. Some are even eaten. Den hunting is just about the most unsportsmanlike method of trophy hunting, right up there with shooting animals from airplanes. Please tell Russian President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin how you feel about this terrible sport.

In Alaska, Polar Bears continue to face the challenges of global warming, and trophy hunting. While it is illegal to hunt polar bears for trophies in the United States, it is still legal in Canada. In most cases it is illegal to transport the carcass (for example trophy bits, such as heads, paws, and hides) of an endangered or protected animal into the country even if it was killed elsewhere. Not only does this encourage poaching in the U.S., but puts added strain on struggling Polar Bear populations in Canada and other countries. There are only an estimated 20 to 25 thousand Polar Bears left in the world, and we need every one of them if the species is going to continue to survive. Please help Defenders of Wildlife stop Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Safari International from stripping these magnificent animals of vital protections.