SCAVENGING TO SURVIVE
Mighty Arctic hunters reduced to living off whale carcasses
POLAR bears are having to scavenge on abandoned whale carcasses because their hunting grounds are melting into the sea, scientists have warned.
Bear numbers are down 30 per cent in places where rising global temperatures are melting the sea ice and cutting them off from their favourite foods, according to a study.
Without the ice sheet, they can no longer access shallow waters which are teeming with fish and seals, one of their favourite meals and bulk up for the winter.
Instead, they are having to travel long distances further north or inland to forage for other kinds of food to survive.
Scientists at Washington State University have discovered just how far their usual hunting grounds have expanded since the turn of the century.
Author Dr Anthony Pagano said: “Having to travel farther means these bears are expending more energy which can threaten their survival.
“If we want to preserve the habitat of these amazing mammals, then we need to focus on the root of the problem, which is slowing global climate change.”
Data on the movement patterns of female polar bears in the Beaufort Sea area north of Alaska between 1986 and 2016, which had been collected using satellites, was analysed by the researchers.
Curbing global carbon emissions is the best way of preserving the southern Beaufort Sea’s 800 or so remaining polar bears, the researchers say, as it is the main cause behind melting Arctic sea ice.
Reducing these emissions to avoid global warming greater than 2C help these animals to survive in their habitat
Dr Paganoo added: “Our work highlights the worrying impact of sea ice decline on polar bear movement patterns.”