Polar Bears Facing Danger

The current population size of polar bears is estimated to be about 20,000 - 25,000 and they are found in the Arctic Polar Regions (World Wildlife Fund, 2015). It is also estimated by U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050 . Polar bears spend more than 50% of their time hunting for food but only less than 2% of their hunts are successful (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.). They hunt for ringed and bearded seals, because of they require lots of fat to survive in the cold Arctic.

Polar bears are an indicator of the health of the marine environment and clearly things have not been going so well. Due to climate change and global warming, the loss of their sea ice habitat caused populations to dwindle and they were listed as a threatened species in May 2008.

Along with the dwindling of population sizes, other impacts include

• retreating sea ice platforms which makes it more dangerous for polar bears to swim from shore to sea ice
• increase in the scarcity of food and thus going hungry for longer periods of time and exhibiting cannibalistic behaviour, which wasn't the case before (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.).
• change in diet

Recently, it was reported that polar bears were seen eating dolphins for the first time and scientists predict that it may be due to the effects of global warming (Zolfagharifard, 2015). This was probably because warmer waters have caused dolphins to go up to the Arctics and thus appearing in the Polar bears' diet. Another odd behaviour observed was that polar bears actually buried leftovers of the dolphins under the snow to save and eat at a later time. It was probably to prevent other animals from consuming the dolphin. 

"A male polar bear with the carcass of a white-beaked dolphin it has partially covered with snow to keep for later having already eaten another one at Raudfjorden on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard." (Daily Mail, 2015).

"As the climate warms, the sight of polar bears tucking into strange meals, such as dolphins, may become more common, experts have said." (Daily Mail, 2015).

The impact of climate change and global warming causing an increase in sea levels and global temperature is certainly becoming obvious as species such as the polar bears act as an indicator of the health of our marine environment. 

References:

Daily Mail, (2015). A male polar bear with the carcass of a white-beaked dolphin it has partially covered with snow to keep for later having already eaten another one at Raudfjorden on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. [image] Available at: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/12/19/2992977C00000578-3121886-A_male_polar_bear_with_the_carcass_of_a_white_beaked_dolphin_it_-a-9_1434133673482.jpg [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

Daily Mail, (2015). As the climate warms, the sight of polar bears tucking into strange meals, such as dolphins, may become more common, experts have said. [image] Available at: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/12/18/2992979700000578-0-image-a-2_1434128647731.jpg [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

National Wildlife Federation, (n.d.). Global Warming and Polar Bears - National Wildlife Federation. [online] Nwf.org. Available at: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

World Wildlife Fund, (2015). Polar Bear | Species | WWF. [online] World Wildlife Fund. Available at: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

Zolfagharifard, E. (2015). Grisly images show polar bears eating DOLPHINS for the first time - and scientists say global warming may be to blame. Daily Mail. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3121886/Grisly-images-polar-bears-eating-DOLPHINS-time-scientists-say-global-warming-blame.html [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].