Boss Hog
TRIBE Member
Polar bears' cannibalism, deaths raise concerns
TENILLE BONOGUORE
Two polar bears have starved to death and two others were found dead this year in the region where scientists previously discovered unprecedented cannibalism within the population.
Scientists were stunned to discover that two mother polar bears had been stalked, killed and eaten near their Beaufort Sea dens, and that much larger male bears cannibalized a young male during the spring of 2004.
Now, four more dead polar bears have been found in the Alaskan and Canadian regions of the Beaufort Sea, and researchers are getting worried.
What was initially thought to be a curious event could indicate a radical shift in the behaviour of polar bears as they battle dangerous drops in nutrition levels, said the lead author of a report into the 2004 deaths.
Dr. Steven Amstrup, polar bear project leader for the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Centre, said cannibalism is not unheard of in bear populations, but it usually happens after an has animal died for other reasons, such as during a fight over territory.
What sets the 2004 deaths apart is the calculated manner in which the bears appear to have been sniffed out, stalked and killed by large males bears hunting for food.
"These are very rare events. The fact that we observed three in a row is very profound," Dr. Amstrup said.
This year, researchers in Alaska found two females with radio tags dead from starvation, and the remains of a third.
Canadian researchers found one dead polar bear in their study region.
The causes of death are being investigated, but Dr. Amstrup said the incidents were unprecedented.
"We've never seen anything like that before. Two of the dead bears were extremely emaciated and appeared to have starved."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060614.BEARS14/TPStory/National
TENILLE BONOGUORE
Two polar bears have starved to death and two others were found dead this year in the region where scientists previously discovered unprecedented cannibalism within the population.
Scientists were stunned to discover that two mother polar bears had been stalked, killed and eaten near their Beaufort Sea dens, and that much larger male bears cannibalized a young male during the spring of 2004.
Now, four more dead polar bears have been found in the Alaskan and Canadian regions of the Beaufort Sea, and researchers are getting worried.
What was initially thought to be a curious event could indicate a radical shift in the behaviour of polar bears as they battle dangerous drops in nutrition levels, said the lead author of a report into the 2004 deaths.
Dr. Steven Amstrup, polar bear project leader for the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Centre, said cannibalism is not unheard of in bear populations, but it usually happens after an has animal died for other reasons, such as during a fight over territory.
What sets the 2004 deaths apart is the calculated manner in which the bears appear to have been sniffed out, stalked and killed by large males bears hunting for food.
"These are very rare events. The fact that we observed three in a row is very profound," Dr. Amstrup said.
This year, researchers in Alaska found two females with radio tags dead from starvation, and the remains of a third.
Canadian researchers found one dead polar bear in their study region.
The causes of death are being investigated, but Dr. Amstrup said the incidents were unprecedented.
"We've never seen anything like that before. Two of the dead bears were extremely emaciated and appeared to have starved."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060614.BEARS14/TPStory/National
