Climate Change Daily Vid Dec 10 2017:Footage of starving polar bear exposes climate change impact

Starving Polar Bear Draws Attention to Climate Change A video of an emaciated polar bear filmed last July near Baffin Island, Nunavut by Paul Nicklen of SeaLegacy has gone viral across social media, putting a face to the challenges polar bears face in a warming Arctic.

“It’s a very sad video—one that’s hard to watch for anyone who cares about wildlife,” said Geoff York, senior director of conservation at Polar Bears International. “In the footage, the bear clearly appears to be on its last legs. It’s in extremely poor body condition and visibly appears to be starving.”

The future for polar bears

Research shows that sea ice retreat, and the reduced hunting opportunities polar bears experience with less ice, already has led to reduced body condition and survival in some polar bear subpopulations.

“When biologists talk about reduced survival, what they are really saying is that more polar bears are starving to death,” said Dr. Steven Amstrup, PBI’s chief scientist. “And this is what starvation looks like.”