A secret population of polar bears in Greenland has been discovered in a seemingly impossible habitat – one that, for most of the year, lacks the floating platforms of sea ice the beasts use to hunt. The unusual group, which scientists previously t
Despite being the world's largest land predator, polar bears are actually listed as marine mammals because they rely on a predominantly aquatic diet, consisting mainly of seals. But in order to hunt for food, the snow-white bears rely on sea ice as a platform to stalk their prey from above. Unfortunately, rising temperatures caused by climate change are reducing the amount of sea ice available, shrinking their natural habitat.
These sea ice conditions mimic those predicted for the rest of the Arctic by the end of the 21st century, based on previous studies, which should make the fjords unlivable for polar bears, the researchers said.The researchers think that the bears are taking advantage of glacial mélange, or the bits of ice that break off the fjords' glaciers and into the sea.
The birth rate among the new population is also very low compared with other populations, which researchers suspect is because potential mates struggle to reach one another.
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