What do scientists think is happening to the numbers of polar bears?

Answer 1

It is difficult to get an accurate count of polar bears. Estimates in the 1950s and 1960s came from hunters and Inuit reports, which were very local. The invention of the snowmobile and modern icebreakers meant that by the 1970s hunting of polar bears had reduced the population to about 10,000.

In 1973 hunting of polar bears was banned world-wide, except for native peoples, who had quotas set. This led to an increase in numbers. Scientists estimate the present population to be about 22,000 worldwide, of which 60% are in Canada.

There are nineteen Polar Bear groups around the Arctic Circle. At the 2005 IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Polar Bear Specialist group meeting, scientists reported that 5 of these groups of bears were declining in numbers, 5 groups were stable, 2 groups were increasing in numbers and 7 groups didn't have enough data to know.

The Report from the IUCN 2009 meeting found that 8 groups were declining in numbers, 3 groups were stable, 1 group was increasing in numbers and again, 7 groups didn't show enough data.

Answer 2

A:

Since the polar ice caps have started melting the polar bears, and many other animals that live on ice, have been found underwater drowned. So if so many species like artic foxes and ringed seals are drowning we are probably going to have a collapse in the food chain.

A:

A polar bear's diet consists primarily of ringed and bearded seals. These seals normally live in the water under the ice and occasionally surface through holes in the ice to breath or to take a rest. The polar bear hunts them when they surface.

With the polar ice cap melting, the polar bears can no longer hunt and, as a result, starve. As more and more sea ice extension melts, polar bears have to swim for longer distances to find ice-shelves on which to hunt resulting in some of them drowning before reaching an ice-shelve.

A polar bear would have little chance of hunting a seal while both are in the water as seals are much more agile and thus faster in the water.

Answer 3

Scientists believe that the number of polar bears is decreasing due to climate change, which is leading to loss of sea ice habitat and reduced access to their main prey, seals. This is resulting in a negative impact on polar bear populations, with some areas experiencing declining numbers and reduced body condition.