Photo of Sickly Polar Bear Signals Tragedy Ahead in Arctic

[jpak]

http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/photo-of-sickly-polar-bear-signals-tragedy-ahead-in-arctic-150915.htm

A viral photograph taken of an emaciated polar bear is significant due to where the image was snapped, according to wildlife experts.

The extremely thin bear was spotted by photographer Kerstin Langenberger off the Barents Sea on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, which was once home to a thriving population of polar bears, but is now monitored by researchers who have observed extraordinary loss of sea ice due to global climate change.

Geoff York, senior director of conservation for Polar Bears International, spent 14 consecutive seasons out on the sea ice, and has been studying the Arctic and its wildlife for two decades. He told Discovery News that he has seen other similar photos recently of polar bears in terrible condition.

He added “that reports and images of thin or dead adult bears from the Barents Sea region of late are concerning, and are also consistent with what we expect to see in a warming Arctic. While there have always been good and bad years for polar bears, we expect that there will be more bad years as the Arctic warms and sea ice habitat is reduced over time.”

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[polly7]

1. God, that's horrible.

[lonestarnot]

2. Fucking A.

[a kennedy]

3. OMGOSH........

[jwirr]

4. Horrible. What does the scientific world think we can

do to help these bears? There is no question the ice is going to melt. What kind of plan is there to save them. If this bear is starving and not just old and sick what is to be done?

[ohheckyeah]

10. I don't

think there is much that can be done. It's heartbreaking.

[NickB79]

12. Not much except captive breeding indefinitely

Of course, if the Arctic thaws, it will take tens of thousands of years to get CO2 levels low enough to re-ice the region.

About the only thing left we can do is intentionally cross-breed them with grizzly bears to preserve some of their genetics in a meta-population for the distant future when the ice returns and a new species of polar bear can re-emerge.

In fact, there are already confirmed grizzly/polar hybrids today: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/polar-bears_2.html

[joeybee12]

5. Heart-breaking, and a lot of sick phucks are thrilled about global warming...

Because they'll get to the oil in the arctic sooner...assholes.

[flamingdem]

6. We know what matters

[lpbk2713]

7. What was that the halfwit half-governor said? ... Oh yeah (snap).

[bullwinkle428]

8. Yeah, make more jokes about it, Trump!

K&R.

[Peacetrain]

9. That just breaks my heart..

Our collective refusal to acknowledge climate change and the disaster it is for our tormentor is stunning and hurtful..

[City Lights]

11. Absolutely heartbreaking.