White bears hunt birds

The scarce food forces the polar bear to climb the dangerous cliffs to catch young birds and eggs.

The white bear climbs down the cliff to catch young birds and eggs on Canada's Island. This is where the birds murre nest.

Scientists at the Canadian National Center for Nature Research have conducted a study to find out if mass ice melting in the Arctic is the reason why white bears increase the capture of seabirds. .

Previously, white bears only hunted round seals. But in 2000 and 2003 many scientists saw them catching seabirds and eating eggs. In the few decades before 2000 this behavior was never recorded.

Scientists believe that ice melting in the Arctic causes white bear hunting grounds to shrink and food sources become more scarce.

Each murret population in the Arctic can hold up to several hundred thousand animals. They only lay one egg at the end of June or July and hatch for 33 days. Most cliffs on Coats Island, where the seabirds nest, are steep. But the polar bears have given scientists their skillful climbing ability. People used to think that cliffs were the safest place for seabirds.

As the ice-free period in the Arctic is getting longer, the feeding pressure and fat storage of bears increase with time. In Hudson Bay, the longer the ice age is found, the lower the bear's survival rate and survival rate.

The environment in the Arctic is changing. The time of thawing sooner and the longer period of non-bandage caused many difficulties for white bears in their survival efforts.

Therefore, in addition to the traditional prey of a round seal, the polar bear is ready to add to the menu of other animals such as murret birds, sea geese.

This fact shows that white bears are becoming more and more practical to increase their ability to survive adverse changes in their environment.

Photo: BBC