Between snowy winters and holiday songs, many animals come to mind during Christmas. There are polar bears wearing Santa hats and red-nosed reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. Turtle doves and the partridge in a pear tree are also immortalized in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” But climate change and habitat loss are taking a toll on many beloved animals we associate with the holiday.
Polar bears
Christmas is a winter holiday in northern countries, which is why cold weather animals like polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are often associated with the festive season.
They are also a poster species for climate change, with the Arctic warming almost four times faster than most of the rest of the world. As melting sea ice diminishes their habitat and causes shifting ice conditions, recent research shows polar bears are developing life-threatening paw injuries.
Currently, polar bears are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The IUCN estimates there are roughly 26,000 polar bears globally with three out of the 19 subpopulations in decline. The IUCN reported in 2014 that one subpopulation increased and six remain stable but there are insufficient data to assess the nine remaining subpopulations.
Reindeer
Santa’s presents would be stuck at the melting North Pole without his famous reindeer, but like polar bears, reindeer are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Although the population is in the millions, some subspecies face threats and are declining due to climate change and environmental degradation.
Conservation efforts have helped some subspecies like the wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) population rebound after being on the brink of extinction.
Turtle doves
In “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song that dates back to the 1700s, turtle doves are one of six different bird varieties that the singer’s “true love” gifted. But some turtle dove species would be hard, or impossible, to come by today.
The Rodrigues turtle dove (Nesoenas rodericanus) and the Mauritius turtle dove (Nesoenas cicur), both last found in the 18th century on the Mauritius islands, are already extinct, likely due to overhunting, deforestation and rats.
The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is also listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Birdlife International, which does assessments for the IUCN, says the species “has experienced one of the most significant declines in Europe” because of hunting and habitat loss to agriculture. The organization said there are signs of recovery, though, as EU governments restrict hunting.
While the future is uncertain for some of these holiday-associated animals, continuous conservation efforts like those for European turtle-doves offer hope that future generations can still celebrate the holidays alongside these iconic species. However, with climate change threatening so many, it’s best to rethink the tradition of coal for those on the naughty list.
Banner image of polar bear jumping on an ice floe by Andreas Weith via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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