New Study Finds Climate Change Affects Polar Bears' Food Hunting Ability
A study published recently found that climate change threatens polar bears' ability to hunt for food. When these bears look for seals to eat, the arctic wind points them to the direction of seals. However, climate change might cause them to lose this crucial tool for hunting.
The study was conducted for a period of 10 years and followed adult polar bears who hunted seals for food. The study also delved into the wind patterns at Hudson Bay in Canada for a decade. Located in the north eastern part of Canada, Hudson Bay is just outside the Arctic Circle and above Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. According to scientists, the climate change would cause the arctic winds to pick up, putting polar bears' hunting ability at risk.
In the said study, scientists explained that stronger winds caused by climate change might interfere with polar bears' hunting activity. By nature, polar bears smell seals through the arctic wind. Once they sniff seals, they follow the source of the smell and find their potential prey. They do this by walking perpendicular to the wind, across the gusts.
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According to the study, travelling crosswind allows the polar bears to get a steady supply of new air streams and lets them maximize the area that they can sense through smell. This crosswind movement usually occurs during winter nights. However, as the fast winds brought by climate change impede olfaction and course through, the polar bears tend to move downwind.
The study found that climate change has caused the arctic winds to blow faster, interfering with the ability of the polar bears to look for food through their noses. The change in climate has also reduced the amount of sea ice in their environment, worsening their body condition and lowering their fat reserves. The study noted that if this phenomenon will continue, then the health of polar bears might be at risk and they might grow to become more aggressive toward humans.
