Earlier in the week we reported that Barack Obama had chosen not to use the Endangered Species Act to force through climate change legislation to help save the arctic habitat of the polar bear.

Today, reports from a Russian bear research project  are indicating a decline in polar bear numbers.

Wrangel Island in the Russian arctic is a polar bear stronghold, but a spring survey has reported a fewer than usual number of dens and footprints of female bears emerging from dens with cubs.

Project manager, Alexander Gruzdev, said “we are not talking about catastrophe as yet” – local conditions could have meant that bears chose to build their dens elsewhere.

However, at a time of mounting evidence of rapidly advancing climate change, this news could be a sign of things to come for polar bear across their arctic range.

WWF is campaigning to stop climate change and save the polar bears.

One of the best ways you can help is by sponsoring a polar bear.