Identifying Trained Responders

Legitimate interventions are highly restricted because polar bears are protected under federal laws like the Endangered Species Act. In the United States, the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the 'take' of marine mammals, which is defined as harassing, hunting, capturing, or killing. The only statutory exception to this take prohibition is for subsistence harvest by Alaska Native peoples. Consequently, any authorized rescue or conservation effort must comply with strict federal guidelines.