Slimmer polar bears could point to global
warming
IQALUIT - One of the long-term effects of
global warming may be thinner polar bears, says a northern scientist working
in western Hudson Bay.
Dr. Ian Stirling has been studying bears
for the Canadian Wildlife Service in Churchill, Manitoba, for close to 30
years.
Stirling has been observing the condition
of the polar bears and their cubs when they come onto the shores of western
Hudson Bay. He says ice is breaking an average of two weeks earlier than in
recent years, giving the bears less time to feed on seals.
"We've been suspecting this for a while,
that some of the females, in fact, are running out of fat and they're leaving
the denning areas earlier than they used to," said Stirling.
The smaller window of time has also caused
the bears to feed on different types of seals, including harbour seals and
bearded seals.
"I think we're looking at a period in the
Arctic where we're going to be seeing a lot of things that are going to be
different than things we've seen before," said Stirling.
He issues a caution, however, by pointing
out that much more research is needed before any long-term conclusions can be
drawn. Ben Kovic, the chair of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, agrees
that additional studies are important.
"Research still has to continue to answer
some of these outstanding questions. The west Hudson Bay polar bear population
is more critical because they would be the first ones to be affected if it's a
global warming issue," said Kovic.
Both men do say that study on the polar
bears of western Hudson Bay could show what the future holds for bears
elsewhere in the Arctic."
