Canon Europe, world-leader in imaging solutions, in partnership with WWF announced today an exciting new competition for children in the Middle East, offering them the opportunity to name a real polar bear. The competition is appearing exclusively online on the WWF-Canon Kids' Zone website, which is designed to inform children in fun and engaging ways about the issues and challenges of climate change and how they can personally make a difference to reducing their own impact on the environment.
To enter and win the chance to name a polar bear and other exciting prizes children need to go to WWF-Canon Kids' Zone [http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/area/species/polar… ] to register and then correctly answer five simple questions. They will then be given the opportunity to enter a name for a female polar bear. There are two female polar bears and the two best entries will each get to name one and be featured on the WWF-Canon Kids' Zone web site. They will also receive a Canon camera and a special visit to their school from a WWF expert. An additional three runners-up will receive a Canon camera. The competition will end on 31st of August 2010.
The WWF-Canon Kids' Zone web site teaches children about the conservation of polar bears and the Arctic region and is 'hosted' by two animated polar bears called 'Auro' and 'Borea'. It uses educational games, trivia and fact sheets themed around the Arctic environment to interact with children and, as well as educational fun for them, it provides teacher packs and resources for parents.
As part of Canon's conservation partnership WWF, Canon supports WWF's Polar Bear Tracker programme in the Arctic, where tagging polar bears helps its scientists learn important information by observing them in their natural habitat. Radio collars are used to track their movements and this helps WWF to understand how they travel.
James Leipnik, Chief of Communication at Canon Europe, said: "Climate change is a subject that we should be discussing with the younger generation now so that they are aware of how they can play their part to help protect the environment for the future. Canon's corporate philosophy is Kyosei, which means living and working together for the common good and, as a socially responsible company ourselves, we are proud to be supporting WWF in its Arctic conservation initiatives."
There are more than 22,000 polar bears in the Arctic, which is also home to many other endangered animals, including the arctic fox, sea eagle and snowy owl. However, climate change is putting the Arctic under threat and scientists are predicting that more than 30 percent of polar bears will disappear in the next 35-50 years.
