Emily Chan
In some parts of the high Arctic, polar bears are sustaining ice-related paw injuries due to a warming environment.
When researchers surveyed the health of two populations of polar bears, they found lacerations, skin ulcerations, and signs of hair loss and ice buildup, mostly on adult bears’ feet.
Two bears had ice blocks up to one foot in diameter stuck on their feet. The ice blocks caused deep, bleeding cuts in their footpads, making it difficult for them to walk. It was the first time that polar bears were seen to have such injuries.
A team led by researchers from the University of Washington offered a number of theories for why the changing sea ice patterns are causing ice buildup and injuries in polar bears.
“In addition to the anticipated responses to climate change for polar bears, there are going to be other, unexpected responses,” said Kristin Laidre, the lead author of the new study.
“As strange as it sounds, with climate warming, there are more frequent freeze-thaw cycles with more wet snow, and this leads to ice buildup on polar bears’ paws.”
Laidre and colleagues were studying two polar bear populations living above 70 degrees north latitude between 2012 and 2022 when they saw the injuries.
A total of 61 polar bears make up the Kane Basin population, which is located between Canada and Greenland. They discovered that 31 of the 61 polar bears showed signs of ice-related injuries, such as cuts, scarring, and hairless patches.
In the second population, 15 of 124 polar bears in East Greenland had similar injuries. In 2022, two Greenland bears had large ice blocks stuck to their feet.
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