Polar bears are increasingly being forced to go to land due to the loss of sea ice. Here they look for food such as berries, birds and eggs, but these are only for a few individuals and probably not able to compensate for the loss of their traditional high-fat diet. This is what a study by the US Geological Survey reveals.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
- polar bears are increasingly forced to go to the mainland due to the loss of sea ice. Here they look for food like berries, birds and eggs, but these are foods intended only for a few individuals and probably not able to compensate for the loss of their traditional diet rich in lipids.
This is what a study by the US Geological Survey reveals.
“Although some polar bears can eat terrestrial foods, there is no evidence that this behavior is widespread ", he said Dr. Karyn Rode, lead author of the study and USGS scientist. "In regions where terrestrial feeding of polar bears has been documented, the physical condition and survival rates of polar bears have decreased."
The authors published their findings in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Scientists have noted that these terrestrial habitats are already occupied by grizzly bears. They are among the smallest animals of their species precisely because of the low quality of food and its scarce availability.
"The size and low population density of grizzly bears in the Arctic provides a clear indication of the nutritional limits of the Earth's diet to support large polar bears in significant numbers," adds the researcher.
The study found that fewer than 30 polar bears were observed while they ate bird eggs. However, this behavior is not yet common and is unlikely to impact the physical condition and survival of the entire population of the species.
The fact remains that few foods are as energetically valid as the marine prey. And many polar bears will die of starvation and starvation as a result of climate change melting their icicaccio kingdom.
Roberta Ragni
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