Polar bears could face extinction by 2100, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change on July 20, 2020.
The research claims that climate change would cause the melting of sea ice brought about by the consequences of warming global temperatures. What's left of 19 polar bear subpopulations scattered across the globe's coldest areas could be wiped out by 2100 as sea ice continues to erode
With the continuous melting of sea ice, polar bears are forced to endure long periods of fasting, as they rely on the ice to hunt seals, their primary source of food.
Even though the bears could fast for months relying on stored body fat from eating seals, findings from the study reveal that they would still most likely starve. According to the researchers, the ice loss projected through the end of the century would outlive the bears' fasting ability and the mother bear's ability to nurse its cubs.
Furthermore, even if greenhouse gas emissions are kept at a moderate increase, the authors say that some polar bear communities are still likely to be lost in some southernmost parts of the world.
One of the authors told the New York Times that they did not model what would occur to the polar bears if gas emissions were significantly cut down. They mentioned they needed to be able to accurately calculate when sea ice would vanish from each location the polar bears were present in.
Meanwhile, at least two polar bear populations have already been affected by melting sea ice. One community is located off the coast of northeastern Alaska, while the other one is found in Canada's Hudson Bay.
Can Polar Bears be Saved?
Wild animals with a stable, healthy habitat, are a renewable resource and can be managed sustainably. However, the problem with polar bears is that, right now, their habitat is unstable.
BBC reports that some data suggests that polar bear numbers would still decline even without any hunting. Restricting hunting in some areas could save more bears, but it will not save the polar bears from extinction by itself.
Another consideration experts look into is providing food for the creatures. However, in the long run, it couldn't save the polar bears. Realistically, it would be impossible to feed all the polar bears in the world. Moreover, the cost of it, and the greenhouse gas footprint in doing it would be tremendous.
Andrew Derocher, a polar bear researcher from the University of Alberta, told the New York Times that polar bears would fare better with less warming. However, conserving the species would be difficult, no matter which scenario you look at.
Lovely Creatures, Polar Bears
According to the Times, there are about 25,000 wild polar bears on the planet. Weighing up to 1,600 pounds, the animals are among the largest types of bears on Earth.
Because of their large build, polar bears need a lot of food to survive. According to Peter Molnar, the lead author of the study, there isn't enough food supply on Earth for polar bears to survive.
Moreover, climate change has already caused some parts of the Arctic to be completely free of ice during the summer months. The Cato Institute faced previous research on polar bears by saying that the animals survived warmer periods, just like some species during the end of the Ice Age.
According to the authors of the study, back then, the polar bears had other food sources, such as whales that presently no longer existed.
