The Arctic’s summer sea ice appears to have hit its lowest extent of the year, putting pressure on the region’s diverse wildlife. Ice covered only 1.6 million square miles on Sept. 10, and 2016 is now tied with 2007 for the second-lowest sea ice extent on record, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.

From bison herds in the Northern Great Plains to polar bears in the far north of Alaska, wild creatures need our help to not only survive, but to thrive. WWF works with the government, businesses, universities, local communities, and other conservation organizations to ensure we can protect animal populations and their habitats. Take a look at a few of these amazing species found in the United States

WWF has teamed up with global design company IDEO to brainstorm an innovative solution to more effectively gather information about polar bears.

American and Russian scientists have now teamed up, with some help from WWF, to develop the region’s first comprehensive and reliable population estimates of ringed and bearded seals and polar bears.

The animal kingdom is flush with moms that take the time to teach their babies how to find food and protect themselves against the elements.

After a record-breaking warm Arctic winter, sea ice hit a record low for the largest area it covers during the winter months. The ice covered only 5.60 million square miles on March 24— surpassing last year’s record low of 5.61 million square miles.

We now have the opportunity to keep offshore drilling out of the Arctic Ocean. Every five years, the US government draws up a five-year planning outlining where oil companies can drill. The Arctic’s Beaufort and Chukchi seas are on the line. We have a chance to persuade our government to remove these pristine places from their list.

The US government announced its draft plan to conserve polar bears, calling for timely and decisive reduction of greenhouse gas emission levels to curb climate change. Immediate action to reduce the long-term impact of climate change is essential.

We all know how great moms can be. The same is true in parts of the wild. Take a look at a few images of animals with their parents.

Forty percent. That’s the stunning population loss for polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea. The news comes from a new study linking the dramatic decline in this polar bear subpopulation in northeast Alaska and Canada to a loss of sea ice due to climate change.

WWF's Elisabeth Kruger focuses on mitigating conflict between polar bears and people, and ensuring species conservation is consistent in the three countries that are home to the Bering, Chukchi, and Beafort Sea polar bears: the US, Russia and Canada.

WWF scientists spent two weeks in April on a research expedition to the islands of Arctic Norway to study polar bears and their habitat. They gathered data on 53 bears total and placed GPS collars on seven females. 

Polar bears usually give birth to twin cubs that stick around for about two years. Take a look at a mother polar bear and her cub snuggling in the snow.

As polar bears trudged back onto their sea ice hunting grounds for the winter, an international gathering of arctic nations was working last week to protect the future of the species.

WWF member Elsa Bailey realizes a lifelong dream at the age of 100 as she tracks polar bears in the Arctic.

The International Forum on the Conservation of Polar Bears will bring together representatives from polar bear range countries, along with scientists, members of indigenous communities, WWF and other conservation leaders.

The amount of ice covering the Arctic Ocean’s surface has reached its lowest point this year. Why is the ice melting so quickly? Black carbon is partly to blame.

We know very little about the wildlife and habitat of the Siberian coast, and so WWF teamed up with Canon on a research expedition to learn more.

WWF works with Arctic communities to protect people and polar bears from avoidable cases of conflict

Now available for free in the iTunes App Store, ‘WWF Together’ is a unique interactive experience that brings you closer to the stories of elephants, whales, rhinos and other fascinating species. Discover the animal’s lives and the work of WWF in a way you’ve never seen before. Try out “tiger vision,” stay as still as the polar bear during a hunt, and chop the panda’s bamboo.

What’s it like to work in the Arctic? Find out from Margaret Williams, Managing Director of WWF’s Arctic Program.

Between the ash-colored sky, misty rain and snow-covered shoreline, I struggled to make out the polar bears that our captain insisted were straight ahead of us. No matter how much I strained, toggling between binoculars and naked eye, all I observed was thick, milky nothingness.