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John Phipps was the first to describe the polar bear as a distinct species in 1774. He chose the scientific name Ursus maritimus, the Latin for 'maritime bear', due to the animal's native habitat.
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Serious concern began in the 1960s after years of increasing hunting.
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First international meeting on conservation of Polar Bears in Fairbanks Alaska
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Total population in Alaska estimated at 2,000. Hunted by Inuit natives along north coast. 15 villages took 344 animals between 1985-87
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Population estimate worldwide: 22,000
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Listed with U.S. Endangered Species Act as Threatened
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U.S. government will set aside 200,541 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as "critical habitat" for polar bears.
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The population in 2015 increases to 32,000 polar pears
