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+--- Thread: Polar Bears Thriving? (/thread-15210.html)
Polar Bears Thriving? - Zinjanthropos - Jan 3, 2024
Who do you believe? Could you watch a documentary on Polar Bears over the last 15-20 years without hearing how endangered they were because of climate change and loss of sea ice? According to this article the bears have done quite well over that stretch. They must be more adaptable than experts thought I guess.
https://polarbearscience.com/2023/03/20/15-years-after-esa-listing-as-threatened-due-to-sea-ice-loss-polar-bears-are-abundant-thriving/
The world is constantly changing. Species adapt or go extinct. Somehow it appears the bears have been at least able to stave off what’s been thrown at them recently. However I imagine the bears have ancestors who faced survival threats over the last millions of years and pulled through, so maybe it’s not too surprising the bears are still in good shape. Good as in nothing much changed since alarm bells sounded by experts 15 years ago.
RE: Polar Bears Thriving? - C C - Jan 3, 2024
Polar bears evolved from brown bears in the course of the latter having to adapt to a super-cold environment and preying on seals at ice holes, where the latter had to come up for air. They can still even interbreed with brown bears, so it's just a matter of reversing back to the habits of their ancestors that are probably still innately lingering in them.
RE: Polar Bears Thriving? - confused2 - Jan 3, 2024
Hm. Makes a change from arguing with someone claiming the Arctic ice isn't decreasing in Summer.
So how can less ice benefit polar bears?
How do they even eat without ice to hunt on? .. As our favourite polar bear expert explains - they don't eat.
Quote:Polar bears [are not hungry but] eat nothing or very little over the summer (whether on land or on the ice) because they live off their stored fat – the physiological condition known as ‘fasting.’
More: https://polarbearscience.com/2015/09/06/polar-bears-are-not-hungriest-in-summer-when-scientists-are-busy-in-the-arctic/
But better hunting when the ice comes back..
Quote:More primary productivity due to a longer ice-free period benefits the entire Arctic food chain in which polar bears hold top spot: fatter seals because of more food mean fatter polar bears with improved survival.
More: https://polarbearscience.com/2021/01/07/arctic-report-card-2020-highlights-the-huge-benefit-of-less-summer-sea-ice-more-food/
Despite the "Ha Ha lack of sea ice hasn't harmed polar bears" I get the impression polar bears are still very much dependent on sea ice and will be until/unless they develop a taste for land based food.