By Simon Leufstedt
Friday, 26 September, 2008

About the Author

Simon Leufstedt is the editor of Green Blog. Simon has previously studied Global Environmental Justice and is currently studying Human Ecology and Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Simon is also blogging over at the Swedish 350 website and working with the Swedish TckTckTck organisation. You can follow Simon on Twitter.

View all posts by Simon Leufstedt

As the Arctic melts polar bears are resorting to cannibalism

Besides changing the climate and environment for people around the world the loss of Arctic sea ice is destroying the habitats for polar bears. Recently we reported about polar bears swimming to Iceland trying to find food and land. And now scientists are reporting that the starving polar bears are desperately resorting to killing and feeding on other polar bears as their natural habitats are rapidly being destroyed by man-made global warming.

“The Arctic sea ice melt is a disaster for the polar bears,” according to Kassie Siegel, staff attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “They are dependent on the Arctic sea ice for all of their essential behaviors, and as the ice melts and global warming transforms the Arctic, polar bears are starving, drowning, even resorting to cannibalism because they don’t have access to their usual food sources.”

Scientists have noticed increasing reports of starving Arctic polar bears attacking and feeding on one another in recent years. In one documented 2004 incident in northern Alaska, a male bear broke into a female’s den and killed her.

Unfortunately there seems to be no light in the tunnel for the polar bears. A new preliminary report from NASA shows that the sea ice at the Arctic continues to disappear and that the ice-levels this year has reached the second-lowest level on record.

More Like This Story

Support This Author

Did you find this article interesting? If so, please consider supporting this author by clicking the Flattr button. All Flattr clicks from this button will go directly to Simon Leufstedt. Thank you for supporting our independent content creators!

Comment Guideline

Comments with profanity, personal attacks or objectionable material will be edited or deleted. Feel free to refute someone's points or offer counter arguments, but please do not engage in name calling.