POV Footage Shows Polar Bears Struggling to Find Food
Feb. 01, 2018 - Polar bears are using 60% more energy than expected to catch seals. Some are using more energy than they consume. Four of nine bears in the study lost 10% or more of their body mass in an 8-to-11-day period. The bears need sea ice to hunt seals that make up more than 95% of their diet. But sea ice is decreasing by 14% each decade due to global warming. This means bears must travel further and further to find seals. Researchers placed point-of-view cameras on the bears to track them in their dire search for food. As the sea ice continues to fragment the bears' ratio of energy expenditure to consumption will grow.
Transcript
Polar bears are using 60% more energy than expected to catch seals.
Some are using more energy than they consume.
Four of nine bears in the study lost 10% or more of their body mass in an 8-to-11-day period.
The bears need sea ice to hunt seals that make up more than 95% of their diet.
But sea ice is decreasing by 14% each decade due to global warming.
This means bears must travel further and further to find seals.
Researchers placed point-of-view cameras on the bears to track them in their dire search for food.
As the sea ice continues to fragment the bears' ratio of energy expenditure to consumption will grow.
