REIGATE, June 15, 2010 – Canon UK, world-leader in imaging solutions, in partnership with WWF, announced today an exciting new competition for children in Europe, offering them the opportunity to name two real polar bears. The competition, aimed at children 7-14 years, 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.
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To enter and win the chance to name a polar bear and other exciting prizes children need to go to WWF-Canon Kids’ Zone [www.panda.org/polarbears] to register and then correctly answer five simple questions about polar bears and the environment they live in.
They will then be given the opportunity to enter two names. There are two female polar bears and the two best entries across Europe will each get to name one of the bears and will be featured on the WWF-Canon Kids’ Zone web site. They will also receive a Canon digital camera and a special visit to their school from a WWF expert. An additional three runners-up will receive a Canon digital camera.
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 ongoing conservation partnership with WWF, which has been running since 1998, it 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.
Jason Sullivan, Corporate Communications Manager, Canon UK & Ireland, 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 in helping to protect the environment for their 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 per cent of polar bears will disappear in the next 35-50 years.
For images of WWF’s Polar Bear Tracker programme, please contact Canon UK’s press office: canonuk@nelsonbostock.com.
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