The Toronto Zoo’s popular polar bear cub has reached several milestones including being able to stand on all fours and take steps forward, teething, and being active and starting to play. His eyes have been open since day thirty-five. The team of experts monitors his temperature, takes blood samples, as well as weigh and feed him. He has an air conditioner to make his room more comfortable.

"We are very happy with his progress so far. We hope that he will grow up to become another ambassador for his species, highlighting threats to the arctic environment," says senior veterinarian Dr. Graham Crawshaw.

Maria Franke of the Toronto Zoo says the polar bear is part of a project which “focuses on climate change and its effects on species conservation within this region" and that when he is ready the new cub will “join our other polar bears in the Tundra Trek and help spread the word on what you can do to make a difference and help save these magnificent creatures.”

There is no question that polar bears and Inuit communities have been affected by climate change. While campaigns by animal welfare organizations and celebrities have only focused on the hunting of polar bears there is a lack of conversation over the effects of climate change.

"If we are going to come up with effective and appropriate multilateral conservation policies that can be acted upon and supported by the public, we need more nuanced conversations and media coverage about polar bear conservation," says Dr. Doug Clark of the University of Saskatchewan's School of Environment and Sustainability.

Polar bear protection has been an area of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia; the two countries jointly backed a proposal at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to severely limit or prohibit trade in polar bears, a proposal which was not ultimately voted in by delegates.