#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Researchers from the University of Toronto have found a direct link between the decline in polar bear populations in western Hudson bay and warming in the Arctic, which is causing a reduction in sea ice. According to Gazeta.ru, the team developed a bioenergetic model that tracks the energy balance of bears throughout their lives. Their findings reveal that the number of polar bears in the western bay has halved over the past four decades.
The most affected by climate change are female bears and their cubs. The average weight of adult females has decreased by 39 kilograms, while one-year-old cubs have lost 26 kilograms. The size of litters has dropped by 11 percent, and mothers are now spending more time caring for their cubs because the young bears are not gaining enough strength to survive on their own by the age of two. With the shrinking food supply, females are producing less milk, which further reduces the survival chances of their cubs.
Scientists believe this trend could extend to other polar regions as well.
It’s also worth noting that nearly one-third of encounters between polar bears and humans result in the bears’ deaths. With the ongoing melting of the Arctic, polar bears are at risk of extinction.
Follow us on Telegram, VKontakte.
Text: Angelika Stepanova, Photo: Denis Kozhevnikov
