Tag Archives: polar bears
POLAR BEARS TAKING HEAT BY INBREEDING: Loss of sea ice means Svalbard’s bears are keeping things ‘in the family,’ putting health and adaptability to changing conditions at risk
Whether you call it “polar bear incest” (tabloids) or “reduction of genetic differentiation” (scientists) it means the same thing: more inbreeding among bears in Svalbard due to less sea ice is threatening their health and ability to adapt to things such as climate change.
CLOUDY COMPLICATIONS: Several days of fog in Longyearbyen results in multitude of cancelled flights, heightened problems with polar bears making repeat visits near town
Dense fog in Longyearbyen the past several days has resulted in several cancelled flights during a crippled tourism season (now including the loss of cruises due to COVID-19 outbreak on one), plus an inability to detect and monitor polars visiting populated areas near Longyearbyen, according to officials and media reports.
NO POLAR BEARS BY 2100? Svalbard faces most drastic threat to entire population, even if climate change impacts are reduced, in new global study
Svalbard’s polar bears are among the least threatened under current global climate conditions, but are facing the most drastic best-to-worst scenario and being among those most likely to go extinct during the next several decades due to climate change, according to a study published Monday.
BE NOT THAT AFRAID: Yes, a polar bear (or two) is lurking near town Saturday – but that’s NOT why this helicopter is rattling roofs
Locals missed out on dozens of dogs yelping, but there were a few cases of the yipes at noon Saturday as residents wondering if a polar bear lurking near town was the reason a rescue helicopter was perched on the ridge of Sukkartoppen a short distance above homes.
Short answer: no. Somewhat longer answer: Click the blue box below.
10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE SPECIAL: Extra-extra-extra massive amount of random weirdness for the week of March 12, 2019
Quiz before reading the next sentence: What worst-case local police emergency explains the “hot” vehicle in this picture?
Too much to bear: Open weekend at Fredheim cancelled by governor due to several polar bears located nearby
An annual open weekend at the Fredheim trapping station at the entrance to Templefjorden has been cancelled this weekend due to the presence of multiple polar bears in the vicinity, The Governor of Svalbard announced Thursday. The announcement comes a day after the inner portion of the fjord was closed to motorized traffic due to numerous incidents of wildlife being disturbed.
Random weirdness for the week of Feb. 19, 2019
The first sunlight of the year is back and so are the first polar bears at the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund (unless the predators were lurking in the dark waiting for some hapless person without a headlamp). But it’s not entirely a happy sight for staffers and not because of what some outsiders might presume is the possibility of becoming polar prey.
ALL-CONSUMING TERROR: Could massive polar bear “invasion” of town on neighboring Russian island happen in Svalbard? Probably not unless we get wasted, expert says
Those dozens of polar bears invading and terrorizing a small Russian island town to the east with some remarkably similar qualities to Longyearbyen are going to have plenty of energy to swim here if so inclined when they finish their feast. But while photos of the bears are making for lively local social media fodder, don’t expect them to make the long swim here – or, more importantly, those already in the area – to stage a similar occupation.
Moronic motorist: Man faces charges for driving truck near polar bears on sea ice near Pyramiden
A man in his 50s who in April drove a pickup truck onto the sea ice in Billefjorden where two polar bears were nearby is facing criminal charges, prosecutors said this week.
No blubbering allowed: Polar bear family denied whale carcass near Longyearbyen returns to the area for a bit Wednesday
A trio of polar bears found eating a whale carcass just outside Longyearbyen on Monday made a return visit the area for several hours Wednesday, according to The Governor of Svalbard.
