What’s new At least two populations of polar bears in the high Arctic are developing paw injuries, possibly because of shifting sea ice conditions in a warming environment, according to a new study. Such injuries have not been reported in these areas previously, the study’s authors write. What the study says Between 2012 and 2022, researchers studied two populations of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the high Arctic. They tranquilized several bears to record their age, sex, reproductive status and health. During the health checkups, the scientists observed various injuries on the bears’ footpads, including cuts, hair loss, skin ulcerations and ice buildup. In two severe cases, the adult bears had thick ice blocks, 30 centimeters (1 foot) in diameter, stuck to their paw pads and surrounding fur, causing deep, bleeding cuts. “The two most-affected bears couldn’t run — they couldn’t even walk very easily,” lead author Kristin Laidre, a scientist at the University of Washington, U.S., said in a statement. “[T]he chunks of ice weren’t just caught up in the hair. They were sealed to the skin, and when you palpated the feet it was apparent that the bears were in pain.” The researchers write that such injuries “have not been observed during previous research in these areas or reported in the scientific literature.” The scientists also interviewed 22 Indigenous subsistence hunters from the region who said they, too, had not observed such injuries until recently. The study’s authors speculate that the warming Arctic could be contributing to the…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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