Dear Secretary Salazar:

A report recently surfaced about a mother polar bear who swam for nine days, nonstop, searching for food for herself and her cub. Although polar bears are equipped to handle the freezing climate, the unprecedented nine-day swim proved to be catastrophic for the bear — she lost more than twenty percent of her body weight and her small cub died attempting to make the journey with her.

Global warming is wreaking havoc on the polar bears' habitat, as melting ice floes are becoming harder and harder to find. If bears don't have sufficient ice surfaces to rest on, they will eventually drown searching for food.

I am writing to ask that you declare polar bears as endangered. If we don't create urgency surrounding the polar bears' situation, we will continue with the false idea that nothing needs to be done in order to preserve this majestic species.

Thank you for your time.