In the Baffin Islands in Northern Canada, two photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier observed a Polar Bear that was taking its last steps. The polar bear had discolored fur that was mangled and its frame was gaunt as it took slow steps in hunt for food.

The polar bear stopped by an abandoned barrel to look for food. In the barrel all it found was a foam seat from a snowmobile that it chewed on. The photographers watched the scene heartbroken as the bear won’t survive the winter with its condition.

As Mittermeier said, “It was so heartbreaking to watch this animal, probably in its last few minutes of life,” who shot the image of polar bear that would become one of the most viral images of the decade.

In 2017 this picture of the polar bear accompanied by video footage of the bear by Nicklen was published in the National Geographic Magazine that overlaid subtitles to show “This is what climate change looks like.”

This scene from Baffin Islands clocked in 2.5 billion views and became a sensation that fueled talks on Global warming and its effects. From melting ice caps to effects on different animal species around the globe became an important topic of discussion among major organizations and world leaders.

The threats to the planet and its inhabitants due to climate change and what could be done to reverse it were discussed. One of the major images of climate change effects in the last decade was the polar bear and how they were struggling to survive.

But since then experts have started to drift away from the narrative of polar bears and the image of climate change they represent. Experts say their image does not really show realistic representation of climate change. Instead now heatwaves, sudden increases in typhoons and droughts are used to emphasize extreme climate change. The reason for this change as it hits home the changes in climate all over the globe due to Global Warming effects. As per record there has been a 13% decrease in sea ice concentration since 1979 due to Global warming. At present the Antarctic sea ice is at below record level as per the benchmark set by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

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