Comments on: Polar Man

By: Michael "C" Lorton, Virginia

Michael "C" Lorton, Virginia — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:54:52 +0000

“Obesity related type II diabetes is essentially epidemic in the U.S., afflicting more than 16 million Americans….If Polar Bears go extinct, we may lose with them vital clues about how to combat this disease.”
When was the last time you saw a Polar Bear at McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, or KFC eating processed foods and processed frozen dinners?

By: Vicky, Ottawa

Vicky, Ottawa — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:32:37 +0000

Thanks for such an interesting post. The info. about polar bears providing clues to treating illnesses was really intriguing. I'm wondering how the connection was made between hibernation behaviour of the pregnant polar bears and implications for medicine. I'll have to let my niece and nephew know about this video, they'll love it ! I adopted a polar bear for each of them last year through WWF, and my niece would like to know where hers is actually.

By: Mari

Mari — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:58:58 +0000

This is so sad. What's even sadder is that most Americans do not realize that our World is interconnected, all of us, animals, humans, seas, etc., we all really depend on each other.

It is FACT that the polar caps are melting, that several glaciers have melted.

I pray that we, wake up, and face the truth before it is too late.

By: GGMa 10

GGMa 10 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:45:28 +0000

What a beautiful video!! What a wonderful story! Watching the cavorting of the mama bear, truly enjoying her body's freedom after all those months in her den, is exhilarating!

By: Melissa, Colorado

Melissa, Colorado — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:36:46 +0000

I like the hoppy cub in the back! He's fiesty! As far as medical help....polar bears aren't human, and I'm no vet-ician, but I would have to say that having polar bear stuff injected in me for osteoporosis better come with a cocktail, a good tagline, maybe a jingle, and a disclaimer. Hey, I know pig valves are good and all, but polar bears just makes me itchy!

By: Helena

Helena — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:41:54 +0000

Great post. Really informative stuff and a briliant video.

By: Michele Z.

Michele Z. — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:08:25 +0000

What an amazing video and animal. Maybe if more people new how wonderful these animals are & how much medical information we get from them, the more we all might try a little harder to save them & the world they inhabit.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:04:42 +0000

Overcoming limitations and a beautiful work.
Great post!

By: Victoria Poupko

Victoria Poupko — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:49:48 +0000

I am afraid that the study is too late. The extinction of polar bears will be sooner than the scientists will find something to apply to human health.. And especially in Alaskja, where Ms. Palin, the Governor, is a bad enemy of animals.

By: vacdepman

vacdepman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:49:45 +0000

First I have heard that mamals breath out carbon monoxide. I thought it was carbon dioxide.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:45:23 +0000

Thank you for this wonderful article. I am very intrigued about the entire medical discoveries that could prove to be breakthroughs.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:42:47 +0000

author says 'carbon monoxide' in the den

don't you mean carbon DI oxide !?!?!?! monoxide is from combustion, dioxide is from respiration.

Clarity would be nice. Either this is tru and the author is such an expert the distinction need not be made, or ther is carbon DIoxide in the den and the author knows very little basic science, and the distinction went right over his head. Which do you think is more likely? !!!!!

If there really was carbon monoxide in the den, the bears would die.

By: Linda Sante'

Linda Sante' — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:45:30 +0000

This is an enormous helpful article on polar bears. This gives people the chance to see the huge empact polar bears have on the envroment including the medical value obtained from the mother's capacity for hybernation. It's amazing they have compounds in their blood that can cure diseases considered uncurable like osteoporosis. It's also amazing the hybernating mother lives in a crypt that has high levels of carbon monoxide. There are so many mysteries to be solved with this incredibly highly evolved creature. I hope your article, Anderson Cooper, gets wide recognition and these incredible animals will be with us for a very long time.

By: Elle

Elle — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:21:38 +0000

No animal should ever go extinct. We can all learn so much from every species that exists on this planet. This was a fantastic post, thank you.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:20:47 +0000

My heart broke for the frozen cub and her mother.

By: GF, Los Angeles

GF, Los Angeles — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:54:13 +0000

I love polar bears! I'm very anxious that they will be extinct after watching a documentary on how much ice they're losing to live on thus they're now drowning and starving to death. The world will be a very sad place if these magnificent animals are lost because of mankind's destruction of this earth.

By: Annie Kate

Annie Kate — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:48:41 +0000

What an awesome video even though the polar bear and cub are far away and very small. After reading about the size of the den, I would be extremely claustrophobic if I had to get in one. I hadn't realized what all polar bears could help us find out medically either – thank you for a very informative post!