I never realized a figment of Al Gore’s imagination could kill off a species.
THE polar bear population is falling because of melting sea ice, a study published today has claimed.
The survival of the species across much of the Arctic will be in question if climate change continues at its current rate, said researchers from the University of Alberta.
They predicted that up to 73 percent of pregnant females in the Hudson Bay region will not reproduce if sea ice breakup comes a month early.
“If climate change continues unabated, the viability of the species across much of the Arctic will be in question,” said biologist Peter Molner, the paper’s lead author.
During ice-free periods, pregnant female bears are less able to hunt for food to build up energy reserves, as they hibernate before giving birth. If they cannot build up proper reserves, the embryo is reabsorbed.