A white or polar bear is a powerful and beautiful animal, a real symbol of the Arctic. However, the indigenous inhabitant of the North was threatened. The number of polar bears in the Arctic in recent years has decreased significantly. Scientists say that in half a century they may not even remain on our planet. In 2008, the polar bear was declared an endangered species, and it was listed in the Red Book.
Why is the number of polar bears decreasing?
Scientists-zoologists give several reasons for the decrease in the population of polar bears. Among them, natural and anthropogenic factors can be distinguished.
One of the main reasons why the number of polar bears is decreasing can be considered climate warming and the associated reduction in the area of polar ice. And this greatly affects the life of a polar bear, as this beast lives by hunting for seals. Over the past 30 years, the area of ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased to 5.02 million square meters. km against an average of more than 7 million square meters. km
Climate warming
Climate change has led to a warming of the water in the southern part of the Arctic Ocean. Some cold-loving fish (for example, polar cod) have gone to more northern areas. And behind them the ringed seal population, which the polar bear hunts, also moved. Some of the bears went north for seals, and the rest have great difficulty in feeding. As a result, the bears begin to eat unnatural food - bird eggs, lemmings, berries.
Starving animals increasingly go to human habitation. In search of food, they search garbage dumps and landfills, pose a danger to humans. Such animals are shot, which also explains why the number of polar bears is decreasing.
Also, eating food waste, they often swallow hazardous things such as plastic wrap, nylon nets for food, pieces of glass, and are etched with household residues.
Lifestyle
This powerful and adroit beast leads a stray lifestyle. In the spring, when the ice begins to melt, polar bears go north. Roaming from ice to ice, they make long transitions. They dive into ice water while hunting or to move to another ice floe.
Climate warming has led to the formation of thinner and less durable ice. It breaks easier and crumbles upon impact. Therefore, polar bears have to swim longer distances than before. This is associated with a huge waste of energy, which means that more food is needed for recovery. Cubs may simply not overpower such a journey and drown.
Due to the changed ice situation, many dipper do not have time to return to land to continue the genus. Increasingly, they are forced to dig ancestral lairs directly on an ice floe, which increases the risk of death for both babies and the she-bear herself. After all, the appearance of cubs and feeding them takes away a lot of her strength, and she cannot leave the den for hunting until the children can follow her.
Hunting
Another reason why the number of polar bears is declining is poaching. While they were hunted only by a few indigenous people of the North, this was not noticeable. But when they began to hunt bears with modern weapons using helicopters, the number of animals to be shot increased sharply. Entire tours for hunting a polar bear were organized. And the skin of the murdered Arctic predator was then proudly shown to the guests.
Now the polar bear is guarded, but for poachers this is not an obstacle.
