海冰棲地改變偶遇北極熊大增

●Alaska scientists say the chances of a polar bear encounter have increased after research reveals the bears are arriving on shore earlier and staying on land longer, a report said.阿拉斯加科學家研究指出，北極熊比過去更早上岸，待在陸上的時間變長，與人接觸的機會也增加。up in the summer and refreezes in the fall, scientists said.科學家說，北極熊在融冰期間從博福特海上岸；海冰往往在夏季崩裂，並於秋季再度結冰。

●The average duration of the icemelt season has increased by 36 days since the late 1990s, researchers said. shore in mid-August, but residents have reported sightings as early as May in Kaktovik, a small town about 640 miles north of Anchorage, biologists said.生物學家表示，北極熊通常在8月中旬上岸，但居民早在5月就回報於安克雷奇北方640哩的卡克托維克小鎮看到北極熊的蹤影。出來時」，女兒和兩名姪女正在戶外玩耍。

●”The main issue is that bears in the southern Beaufort are now using land to an extent they haven’t used it historically,” Atwood said.艾德伍說：「主要問題是，博福特海南部的北極熊現在利用陸地的程度堪稱史無前例。」

北極熊在阿拉斯加的博福特海冰上漫步。（美聯社）地質調查局研究員在阿拉斯加普拉德霍灣細心照料北極熊寶寶。 （美聯社）