The us government has once again missed its deadline to add the polar bear to the list of endangered species. The us Fish and Wildlife Service was due to take a decision in this regard by February 8 this year.

The delay has fuelled doubts about the government's intention to conserve the polar bear and its habitat in the Arctic region, which is shrinking due to global warming.

Just two days before the deadline, the government opened nearly 12 million hectares of pristine Chukchi Sea, off the Alaskan coast, for oil and gas exploration activities. The us Department of the Interior