White, or a polar bear - a powerful and beautiful animal, a true symbol of the Arctic.However, the indigenous inhabitants of the North is under threat.The number of polar bears in the Arctic in recent years has greatly diminished.Scientists say that half a century later they may not stay on the planet.In 2008, the polar bear has been declared an endangered species, and brought in the Red Book.
Why decreases the number of polar bears?
zoologists give several reasons for reducing the polar bear population.Among them are the natural and anthropogenic factors.
One of the main reasons why the reduced number of polar bears, can be considered global warming and the associated shrinking of the polar ice caps.This strongly affects the life of the polar bear, as this beast lived by hunting seals.Over the past 30 years, the area of ice in the Arctic Ocean shrank to 5.02 million square meters.km against the average value of more than 7 million square feet.km.
Climate warming
Climate change has led to a warming of the water in the southern part of the Arctic Ocean.Some cold-loving fish (eg, Arctic cod) have gone into more northern areas.And behind them and moved the population of ringed seals hunted polar bear.Some of the bears went for seals to the north, and the rest is experiencing great difficulties with food.As a result, the bears do not begin to eat their usual food - birds' eggs, lemmings, berries.
Starved animals are more likely to go to people's houses.In search of food, they rummage the garbage and landfills, are dangerous to humans.Such animals are shot, which also explains why the reduced number of polar bears.
Also, eating food scraps, and they often swallow such dangerous things, such as plastic film, nylon mesh for products, pieces of glass, etched residues of household chemicals.
Lifestyle
This powerful and agile beast of a vagrant.In the spring, when the ice begins to melt, the polar bears go to the north.Roaming from ice floe to ice floe, they make long jumps.The ice water they dive during hunting or to move to another ice floe.
Climate warming has led to the fact that the resulting ice becomes thinner and less durable.It is easier to break and crumble under the stress.Therefore, the polar bears have to swim longer distances than before.This is due to a huge waste of energy, hence the need to restore the food more.The Cubs also simply can not overpower such a journey and drown.
due to changing ice conditions, many female bears do not have time to return to the land to continue the race.Increasingly, they have to dig maternity dens directly on the ice, which increases the risk of death and toddlers, and the most-bear.After the appearance of cubs, and feeding of them takes her a lot of strength, and come out of their dens to hunt it can not as long as the kids will not be able to follow her.
Hunting
Another reason why the reduced number of polar bears is poaching.While they were hunted just for the few indigenous people of the North, it was not noticeable.But when the bears began to hunt with modern weapons, using helicopters, the number of shot animals has increased dramatically.Organized the whole tour to hunt polar bear.A skin murdered Arctic predator then proudly showed guests.
Now the polar bear is protected, but poachers is not an obstacle.
Diseases
Scientists are trying to establish more precisely, why it reduced the number of polar bears.The answers are different.Among the reasons is also called the disease, such as trichinosis.It is caused by parasites, settling in the muscles of animals.In addition to polar bears, they still get sick foxes, sled dogs, seals.Some believe that this disease is brought to the North people.
There is no doubt that polar bears need protection.Otherwise, our grandchildren may never know about the strong and surprisingly beautiful beast Arctic nomads living on the harsh north.
