If you ask children or college students to draw pictures to illustrate climate change, chances are that polar bears will make an appearance.
Since activists started fighting to protect the climate in the 1970s, certain animal species have become the poster children for various conservation movements. From images of polar bears drifting alone on melting sea ice to complex songs from whales taking over the radio airwaves to internet memes of sloths roaming their disappearing habitats, certain species rise to prominence in human perception, inspiring us to make changes and fight for their preservation.
