Breezy Explainer: Polar Bears in Western Hudson bay are dying. Here’s why

A new survey reveals, polar bears in the Western Hudson bay, a key Canadian region are dying. Read to know why and what consequences this has.

Why are polar bears dying in the Canadian region?

As per a new government survey, the polar bears in Western Hudson Bay are rapidly dying. The survey also revealed that younger and female polar bears are highly affected. At the time of the survey, a total of 918 polar bears were left in the region. The Western Hudson Bay includes Churchill, a town famously known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the Worlds”. During the previous survey in 2016, there were 842 individuals in the region.

The new survey reveals a 50 percent of population drop from the 1980s. It joins the list of studies and reports highlighting the animal’s vulnerability to climate change. A previous study published in 2020 warns that polar bears will be wiped out before the end of this century.

More on the impact of climate change

The Artic sea is vital to the survival of polar bears since they depend on it for food, traveling, resting, and mating. However, with the spiking global temperatures, the sea ice is breaking early and refreezing later than usual. Due to this, these animals get lesser time for hunting and end up staying without food longer. Additionally, they will have to travel longer distances. As per a recent report in Carbon Brief, this increases the energy required, and coupled with the low quantities of food, they lose weight. Carbon Brief is a UK-based website covering climate science, climate policy, and energy policy. Their report also highlights changing diets can lead to a higher mortality rate for the cubs.

Polar bears are highly significant predators in the Arctic environment and help in keeping biological populations in check. Their large kills also help serve as food for scavengers such as the Arctic foxes and birds. However,k if they are unable to hunt, the effects can increase across the food chain. Moreover, studies reveal that if they cannot hunt seals, they will move to kill other creatures in the Arctic. Hence threatening the existence of other species and causing seal overpopulation.