As the environment warms, polar bears are more likely to contract several pathogens than they were three decades ago. In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers looked for antibodies for six pathogens in blood samples taken from polar bears in the Chukchi Sea from 1987-1994 and from 2008-2017. They found that five of the […]
Tag: polar bears
Arctic Animals Face Growing Disease Threats as Climate Warms
Karyn Rode, a seasoned research wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center, emphasizes the polar bear‘s role as a bellwether for broader ecological shifts. “Pathogens’ transmission pathways are changing, including in the Arctic,” Rode notes, highlighting the rapid environmental transformations underway. The region is warming at a pace four times the global […]
Inspired by nature – 6 times biomimicry has transformed outdoor gear
Recently, I traveled to the Swiss Alps with the outdoor brand Columbia to test out their newest technology. Omni-Heat Arctic is an insulating technology that is inspired by how a polar bear‘s fur works to keep it warm in frigid arctic conditions. Though polar bears appear white, they actually have heat-absorbing black skin and two […]
Petition: Demand an Investigation into the Avoidable Killing of a Polar Bear in Canada
In a tragic incident at a remote radar site in Canada’s Arctic region, a worker was fatally attacked by two polar bears, leading to the killing of one of the bears. This event, while devastating, raises significant concerns about the measures in place to protect both employees and the endangered polar bears that inhabit these […]
Climate Change Is Pushing Polar Bear Populations Into Conflict With Humans, Scientists Say
Deep in Canada’s remote Brevoort Island, in the Nunavut territory, a radar technician was killed last week in a rare polar bear attack. Days earlier, a polar bear was spotted in Rankin Inlet, a remote, but fairly populated, Inuit settlement in the same territory. Experts warn that similar encounters with polar bears will likely become […]
Polar bears kill a worker in a rare attack in Canada’s Arctic region
Two polar bears have killed a Canadian worker in a rare attack at an Arctic Radar Station. The employee, who is yet to be named, was working for the Canadian government on Brevoort Island, a remote and uninhabited part of Nunavut territory in northeastern Canada. Despite the fact colleagues responded and one of the bears […]
Tragic Loss of Beloved Polar Bear at Calgary Zoo
This week, the Calgary Zoo mourns the sudden loss of Baffin, a seven-year-old polar bear. Baffin’s unexpected death occurred due to drowning after a severe injury to his trachea during a play session with Siku, an eight-year-old polar bear. The zoo explained that this type of “rough play” was typical for the pair, and it […]
Petition: Help Protect Arctic Wildlands and Wildlife from Big Oil
Grizzly and polar bears, caribou, rare birds, and other wildlife species rely on public land in the Western Arctic. These sensitive areas are also home to dozens of Indigenous communities. But ConocoPhillips and other fossil fuel companies just see millions of acres of land for climate-busting oil and gas drilling. The Biden administration is acting […]