Moscow. September 14th. INTERFAX.RU – Polar bears in Chukotka this summer, due to the unusual ice conditions, hunted in the sea and rarely went to settlements, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
“This year, for the first time in more than ten years, the coasts of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas have not cleared of ice in summer.
Vast ice fields were observed by residents of Ryrkaipiya, Billings, Vankarem and other coastal villages of Chukotka. The ice conditions allowed polar bears to hunt on the ice throughout the summer, they began to wander along the coast less in search of food and disturb the inhabitants of the villages.
“It is difficult to talk about the reasons for the unusual ice conditions, but it is even more difficult to make forecasts for future years. Most likely, in the long term, the ice area will still shrink. This means that the work of the Bear Patrols is still relevant and very important – both for residents of coastal villages, as well as for the animals of the Arctic “, – quoted by the press service of the chief coordinator of projects for the conservation of biodiversity in the Arctic WWF-Russia explains to Varvara Semenova.
In early September, polar bears were seen in the villages of Ryrkaipiy and Billings. Bear Patrols resume detours in villages.
Environmentalists note that already in the early 2000s, due to climate change and the later appearance of ice cover off the Arctic coast, polar bears began to spend more time on the coast. This leads to more frequent collisions between a person and a predator, and also increases the likelihood of killing the bear by poachers. To minimize conflicts, “Bear Patrols” work.
The polar bear is listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of the Russian Federation. In the water area of the Chukchi Sea, the population is estimated at about three thousand individuals. The Chukchi polar bear population is considered the largest in the world.
