Canadian polar bears near 'bear capital' dying at fast rate

A new survey shows that polar bears in Canada's Western Hudson Bay are dying in high numbers. Bears and females are having a difficult time.

Andrew Derocher, a biology professor at the University of Alberta who has studied Hudson Bay polar bears for nearly four decades, said the decline is much larger than he had thought. He wasn't involved in the study.

The number of bears in the region has fallen since the 1980's. They need the ice to survive.

The polar bears rely on sea ice that shrinks in the summer to form again in the winter. They use it to hunt, perching near holes in the thick ice to see seals coming up for air. Climate change is making sea ice crack earlier in the year and taking longer to freeze in the fall.

Many polar bears have less ice on which to live and hunt because of that.

The polar bears are also important predator in the area. They were the face of climate change for a long time.

There are a lot of deaths of bears and females in Western Hudson Bay.

The lead author who has studied polar bears for more than 30 years said that those types of bears would be affected by changes in the environment.

Young bears don't have enough energy to grow and can't survive long periods without food and female bears struggle because they don't have enough energy to nurse and care for their offspring.

It raises questions about the viability. It's the reproductive engine of the population.

The capacity for polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay to reproduce will diminish because there are less young bears that survive and become adults.

That's right.

Climate and environmental coverage is supported by a number of private foundations. Here, you can see more about AP's climate initiative. The AP doesn't have any responsibility for the rest of the content.