Global warming, which has hit the Arctic particularly hard, is endangering the habitats on which many animal species depend. polar bear threatened with early extinction. Its population is declining significantly and it is estimated that only 22,000 to 30,000 specimens currently remain. In the wild, World Polar Bear Day is celebrated on February 27 to draw attention to the serious plight of this and other arctic species.
The polar bear feeds mainly on fish and seals, but in recent years it has become less likely to hunt or fish its natural prey due to the loss of ice. As a result, scientists warn, males began to eat their own younggiven the impossibility of finding natural food.
Even if they protect new cubs, it’s estimated that only half of the cubs reach adulthood.
Until 1990, the ice of the Arctic remained more or less stable despite the increase in global temperature already recorded at that time. Since that year the region has been losing, among other things, ice floes that cannot be recovered the following year. new commercial sea routes, resulting in increased impacts in the region.
In fact, large ships are now responsible for the powerful greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the heart of the Arctic, thanks to these paths that previously did not exist or were too small due to the presence of ice.
Polar bear populations have declined by more than 30% in just 45 years and many scientists believe it could disappear completely from Earth by 2100.
Most of these specimens live in western Alaska, northern Alaska, Greenland, Canada, and Siberia, but They also have assets in Iceland. A total of 19 subpopulations are counted.
Global warming isn’t your only threat. Increasing pesticide pollution in some of its habitats, exploitation of natural resources in its ecosystems, or poaching are troubling this large mammal.
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