Courtesy of http://www.polarbearsinternational.org
I subscribe to Polar Bears International e-newsletter and I loved the latest letter for June that explained why losing polar ice mattered so much for the polar bears. In short:
“Polar bears began swimming back to shore last week nearly four weeks ahead of their average return date. [This] early loss of their seal-hunting [time] forced the bears to leave behind the bounty of young and naïve seal pups that help them pack on fat reserves. Once onshore, they enter a prolonged fasting period until the Bay freezes again in the fall.”
What does losing this critical time translate to for the polar bear’s future? “Ice-free periods are becoming longer and longer. As a result, scientists are seeing more and more thin polar bears and a steep drop in the number of cubs.”
Read more here if you’re interested and donate here to help the polar bears!