Was the starved polar bear a victim of climate change?

Image source: theguardian.com

An emaciated polar bear found dead in northern Svalbard has prompted scientists to look into the possibility of the animal’s demise due to climate change. The Guardian reports that that the polar bear, which was found dead in July, was examined by scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute in April in the southern part of Svalbard and appeared to be in great shape.

Dr. Ian Stirling of Polar Bears International examined the dead polar bear and believed that climate change was the culprit for the animal’s death. In particular, the lack of sea ice on which to hunt seals forced the bear to search for food outside beyond its territory. The animal was found 250 km away from where it was last spotted.

Image source: ecolocalizer.com

However, not all scientists are convinced that the polar bear was a victim of climate change. In fact, some experts believe that the bear’s death was used as a photo-op by global warming alarmists. Dr. Susan Crockford, a zoologist, even wrote in her blog that the scientists in Svalbard "knew this bear was going to die back in April … they simply waited, with a photographer on hand, until he died. It was an orchestrated photo-op."

The discussion on whether climate change killed the polar bear is expected to continue until a fact-based explanation is presented. But in this debate, one thing remains: A polar bear died in its desperate attempt to look for food.

Image source: wanderlust.co.uk

Janique Goff believes that climate change will have a tremendous impact not only to animals but more importantly to mankind. Learn more about the environmental causes she supports here.