The first thing to remember about polar bears is that you will find them in the Arctic but not in the Antarctic.  The Antarctic is reserved for penguins.  Never the twain shall meet.

The second thing to remember is that polar bears eat fish.  Honey is not on their diet sheet mainly because honey is not on offer.  The third thing to remember is that Arctic ice is slowly but surely melting.  It cannot be relied to survive much beyond 2050.  It would therefore be appropriate to consider a new home for the polar bears.

The climate in (South) Africa is not conducive to polar bears which is a pity because locally, just outside Johannesburg, we have a wonderful reserve known as the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre.  Ann van Dyk is a remarkable woman who set up this reserve as a centre to rescue cheetahs and actually looks after a wide range of animals and birds.  No one is presently suggesting that polar bears are in need of a rescue centre but who knows what may be required in less than 30 years?

Just recently I purchased four polar bear pastels by Mark Adlington.  They are wonderful examples of these magnificent creatures.  Let’s make sure that the bears remain part of our lives and never disappear into extinction.