Polar bears struggle with climate change

Amid climate change and shrinking habitats, polar bears are struggling to adapt to new conditions.

John Whiteman, a scientist at Polar Bears International (PBI), said this type of injury follows the same scenario as what dogs often encounter in cold climates.

A large block of ice clings to a polar bear's leg (Photo: WU).

"Initially, the snow gets trapped in the fur on the soles of the feet. Due to body heat or when the animal moves, this ice melts slightly, but does not disappear," Whiteman explains.

"Over time, they accumulate larger and larger, forming ice blocks that make it difficult for polar bears to run or even walk."

The danger is that these ice chunks don't just get stuck in the bear's paws. They stick to the skin, causing the bear's skin to tear as it moves.

Kristin Laidre, a marine ecologist, said this was the first time polar bears had faced serious harm, although their living conditions had previously been alarming.

"When you touch a bear's paw, you can clearly see that they are in terrible pain ," said Kristin Laidre.

Polar bears struggle to adapt to new conditions

Scientist John Whiteman said the "frozen paws" condition was a surprising problem for polar bears, as the animals have evolved to adapt to their Arctic habitat, including swimming regularly, even in very cold weather.

However, he added that the Arctic is one of the fastest warming regions on the planet and unusually warm periods are becoming more frequent.

Such periods can cause seawater to seep back up onto the sea ice surface, or record rainfall instead of snow.

A photo of a skinny polar bear searching for food on Baffin Island (Canada) was captured by a photographer (Photo: Paul Nicklen).

This leaves a large area in a muddy state, making it difficult for polar bears to move, and prone to "frozen paws".

The impact of global warming is also making it harder for polar bears to hunt seals, as the amount of sea ice melts.

According to researchers , the loss of this source of nutrition could lead to many problems , affecting the ability of polar bears to survive and reproduce.

"Polar bears are hardy animals that adapt to their environment. But recent photos show that they are really struggling with climate change ," said Whiteman.

In Churchill, a small town in northern Manitoba, Canada, the polar bear population is growing, and they are moving further inland.

Accordingly, there are about 600 individuals in this population, compared to only a few dozen bears appearing a decade ago.

Researchers say the bears are becoming more proactive, willing to take risks, and moving closer to humans, a move never before seen in polar bears.

However, their hunting skills on land are still not perfect, plus potential threats such as conflicts with humans, pollution, disease. can pose challenges to this animal species.

The IUCN estimates that there are currently about 26,000 polar bears worldwide.

But without action on climate change, we could lose all but a few small populations of polar bears by the end of this century.