The San Diego Zoo's polar bear, Chinook
Carbon emissions from this and other cities all over the world are contributing to the crisis in polar bear habitat. Although the long-industrialized United States still produces more greenhouse gases than anywhere else, and so bears a heavy burden as regards reversing climate change, people in the developing world have an opportunity to nip their contribution to climate change in the bud and direct technological developments toward greener energy sources.
It is impossible to talk about polar bear conservation without setting the stage with a discussion of climate change. All other threats to polar bears in the wild are dwarfed in comparison to the threat posed by the loss of sea ice in the Arctic as a result of increased ocean temperatures in the region. The rate of warming in the Arctic is nearly twice that of the worldwide average, and the polar bear is the most visible victim of this asymmetry. Habitat losses, and concomitant changes in the availability of appropriate prey species, pose a catastrophic threat to polar bears.
But all is not lost, and there is still hope for the polar bear. Climate change is something that each and every one of us can fight simply by making “greener” choices in our everyday lives: turn off the light, bike to work, turn down the air-conditioner. Thousands of miles away, a polar bear is thanking you!
While many bear species are generalists by nature, the polar bear, like the giant panda, is completely dependent on a single habitat feature for survival. For the giant panda it is bamboo. For polar bears, it is the sea ice, and this species is entirely dependent upon it for its survival. Although some subpopulations of polar bear come ashore during the summer months or to den in the winter, all polar bears rely on the sea ice during important phases of their life cycle. Probably the most vital resource the sea ice provides is a platform from which to hunt the ice-loving seals that are the mainstay of the polar bear diet. Without access to these seals, polar bears have a very hard time getting adequate nutrition to support successful reproduction and cub rearing.
The research that we are conducting at the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research focuses on illuminating the sensory ecology of the polar bear. Specifically, we have studied the hearing sensitivity of the bears, and we are now embarking on a study of the use of vocal communication between mother and cub while in the den and how noise from petroleum extraction activities penetrate maternal dens excavated in the snow and ice of Alaska’s North Slope. This aspect of the polar bear’s biology, their sensory ecology and use of acoustic communication, is poorly understood. Yet it is necessary information from which to develop estimates of disturbance from industrial activities in polar bear habitat and a line of research that is ideally suited to the zoological setting.
Given the changes in the Arctic habitat, the impacts on polar bear body condition resulting from these changes, and the ever-present pressure to increase industrial activity in the Arctic, we need to understand how a polar bear perceives its environment and what levels of human-made noise would pose a stressful disturbance or disrupt important communication. Sub-optimal nutrition may also work in concert with other threats or disturbances to polar bears or polar bear habitat, creating a “perfect storm” of negative effects, magnifying the negative impact of disturbance.
I found that my audience in Beijing was keenly interested in the complexity of the conservation threat the polar bear faces. This interest was expressed by scientists from all over the world, and ultimately I found that, regardless of where a particular scientist came from, our conversations came to a consistent conclusion: climate change is a global issue, and each and every one of us can contribute to its reversal.
Megan Owen is a conservation program specialist for the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Conserving Ursids: Polar Bears
Watch the San Diego Zoo’s polar bears daily on Polar Cam!
Megan, what a fantastic blog, so much interesting information. I hope this in some way serves as a wake up call for going a greener way of life. Thank you
Thank you for a very interesting read, Megan. We’ve already seen at the Polar Plunge a few weeks ago, when work was being done just behind the bears’ enclosure, that one of them – I think it was Kalluk? – was very upset by the noise and continually paced up and down. If there is continual noise in their natural habitat, then surely a large number of polar bears will be affected similarly, with unpleasant effects from this. A lot of humans don’t realise how sensitive animals are to many things around them – probably a lot more than we are. How many of us would like to live near a large noisy factory? Those of us that do are probably affected quite badly which could show itself in various ways such as anxiety.
I’m glad that research is being done, I just wish there was a way that the bears and the developers could share their lives without conflict.
Megan, great article! I agree with you about both the pandas and polar bears as far as conservation and habitat issues are concerned. The wild pandas in China are having a very difficult time finding bamboo food in their moutain ranges since the devastating May, 2008 earthquake sent landslides down the mountains that destroyed a large portion of the bamboo. Plus, there were only 35 wild pandas sighted and counted since the quake, and that is a very low number of wild pandas compared to the 1,600 that were counted a couple of years ago. Pandas International reported that the Chinese searchers found one wild panda dead due to starvation, and there have been other wild pandas going into villages scavenging for food. Some of those wild pandas were not in good shape according to some of the Chinese villagers. PI has announced a major fundraising effort to start growing wild bamboo in the mountains this summer in order for the first batch to really get going and be available for the pandas to eat. The farmers will be given the opportunity to plant the bamboo in the mountain areas and will be compensated for their hard work. I have seen alot of programs about the polar bears and their problems with loss of sea ice and hunting during the spring and summer. Two programs have highlighted this—”Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth”—both on Discovery Channel. Another new program that was just aired on Discovery was called “Wild Russia”, and that also showed the polar bears pretty much in the same situation in the Russian Arctic. All of the polar bears all over the Arctic are having the same situations whether they are in Alaska, Canada, Norway, Russia. It is a problem that needs to be dealt with now. That’s why the panda keepers and polar bear keepers in all of the zoos that house these animals are working so hard to educate and remind people about these animals’ situations, and hopefully, more people will be aware and help in the conservation efforts to save these magnificent animals. Bai’s baby panda cub is just one more win for the pandas in that effort. Hopefully, Chinook will be very successful in being pregnant and having a couple of polar bear cubs this fall, and that will be a huge win for the polar bears. It has been about 10-15 years since there has been a polar bear birth here in the USA. That’s when twin polar bear cubs were born at the Denver Zoo back in the 1990s.
Well, gonna go and get back to the cams, especially Bai and her cub!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
The condition of polar bears in Chinese [and Japanese] zoos worries me. The enclosures are small and made for easy clean-up rather than for bear amusement. The bears appear bored and lethargic, and often seem sickly. It distresses me and I can’t look at them. Did you observe that and were you able to offer any enlightenment there?
Just reading about the panda program and fortunately have Bai Yun and her cub to illustrate what I’m reading! When are they thinking of naming the panda cub?
Diane #4 — By Chinese tradition, the cubs are named at a 100-day celebration. I’m betting that the SDZoo will have a naming contest — as they have previously — where we get to choose between 4 or 5 names.
I agree — thank goodness more and more zoos are like the SD Zoo — where animals live in environment more similar to what it would be in the wild. Another reason to be so grateful for the SD Zoo and the amazing staff that work so hard to save endangered animals!!
Thank you for the information. I’ts sad to know the US is the worst offender in green house gases. =(
On another note, any changes going on with Chinook that would indicate as of yet, a possible pregnancy?
I know it was said in earlier blogs, that a cub (if conception took), would not be likely until November/December. But maybe there are changes that her keepers are noticing, that wound indicate such ? Time seems to be flying, and it’s only 3 months away. And I know we have also asked this in earlier blogs as well, but I’m gonna ask again. Will we get the same den cam privlages as we do with Bai and her cubs ? Yes ? Please ?
Thank you so much, Megan. Fantastic article. How I wish it could be posted on every front page of every paper in the world, including the Washington D.C. paper. So many humans are ignorant of what global warming and drilling for oil and gas is doing to wild animal habitat, especially in the artic. Also, so many of those humans are not only ignorant, but will tell you they do not care. It paints such a bleak picture of what might/could happen. Meanwhile our polar bears become more and more in peril. Thank you San Diego Zoo for helping put the word out there. I hope those Scientists you addressed will be instrumental in making change happen all over the earth.
I am embarrased to say that I am hard put to identify our 3 bears, unless they are all together. Then I can judge by size which bear is who. Tonight at about 7:30 SDZ, a lone bear (I am thinking it was Tatqiq, judging from the wide ears) was exploring the air with nose up and searching. It was delightful to watch. Apparently some food was on the way, as she (it is was Tatqiq) finally found the source of her interest.
P. S. The new view of the plunge is very interesting, with so many big trees surrounding the area. I was surprised. It was also interesting, seeing the comparison of size of the humans at the viewing window, and the size of the bears. One might forget how very large these white giants are without those comparisons.
Thanks, SDZ, for all you do.
I just got on the Polar Cam, and I am treated to a special close-up of one bear chomping down on the carrots with some enrichment toys at the center of the pile. Wait… The bear just finished eating and walked away. It was a great enjoyment while it happened. Thanks Meerkats!
Cutest shots of one of the bears — I have a harder time identifying them when they are laying down — playing with some palm fronds/husk. Rather, loving on their palm fronds/husk. The bear just can’t decide what to do with their “objects of affection” — do I fashion the fronds into a skirt, no maybe lay on them, then again chewing on them is fun. And the husk — maybe I will lay on that, no cuddling it is much more fun, although it makes a nice pillow… gosh, I just can’t decide. I’ll just rest for a bit, take a little nap and think about it. Oh wait, let me grab my husk and cuddle with it a bit more first. Silly bear!
Dianne #7, it would be fantastic if every newspaper in the world could put Megan’s article on the front page. But you are right, unfortunately, that there are a lot of ignorant and uncaring people in the world with regard to animals/wildlife. It breaks my heart and sometimes I wonder why I try so hard to help the animals that I do, because for every one of you and me there must be 50 people or more who don’t give a fig (I’m being polite here). I’m the sort of person, and I’m sure all of you on these forums are, who picks up a dying pigeon that’s been hit by a car and carries it home, talking to it and cradling it in my arms until it dies, but not before it looked at me as if to say “Thank you for caring”. How do we make people care?
Susan #10, I often feel this way, too. Like the little bit that I do is just never going to be enough to help out the situation. But it does. I am a firm believer that with the bad ecomony and odd weather, more and more people are learning to live green, even if they change only a few things, it is a good start. And when we live our lives well and green, we become examples for others. Just like these blogs and cams that allow us to peek into the lives of Polar Bears and their fight to survive. I hope to be wise and make green decisions, but also to be optimistic that if we don’t make the changes, Mother Nature will fix us and do it herself, the hard way!
On a happier note I had a lovely closeup of a bear (Chinook, maybe??) eating carrots with two pink balls mixed in. At first I thought this would be Tatqiq, but later saw a rather round bear….so not sure who it was! Very nice closeup, though!
Megan thanks for the great post and update on your presentation in Beijing. I think I missed the part about the conclusions from your hearing tests on Chinook and Shakari as I have been asking about the results in recent posts.
A very well rounded polar bear is lounging on the rocks beside the pool at 7:14 PDT. Due to the “roundness” of the body, I will venture a guess that it is Chinook. If it is, she has indeed started to put on fat as you have prescribed for her potential pregnancy and hibernation before and after birth. I am very excited to think that we may soon have polar cub(s) at SDZ. How exciting that will be and an even greater teachable moment and opportunity.
Thanks to all for all the research you do, and for the wonderful care of these marvelous bears at SDZ and in the wild.
Sorry Megan, I did find the paragraphs about the noise disturbance from the oil extraction equipment and the tests you have done for hearing sensitivity. If you have time please write a brief summary of what you found out from your tests of the SDZ bears over the past few years. Are you planning to do the mother/cub vocalization test on the potential birth of polar cub, or are you referring to the research being done on Panda mothers/cubs?
Debi #11, thanks for your reply. I’m not always that negative, it’s just that sometimes you feel like a very small cog in a very very big wheel and wonder if things can improve. But of course, that’s where people like us and organisations like the SDZ and others all over the world come in – we have the lovely Tiggywinkles hospital here and they don’t mind if you bring them a tiny mouse or a huge deer, it will have the best treatment available. I support many animal charities and do what I can. I also now support the SDZ as much as I can because I feel it has got things right. I just try and surround myself with animal lovers, it gives me a good feeling!
Chinook has been doing her laps again lately and investigating whatever is under the shelf. She is definitely looking very round. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed.
Chinook (?) (very round brownish polar bear) lying at the very edge of the rocks with her front paws almost touching the water tonight. Looks like she wants to cool off but can’t quite decide whether to dive in or not. Interesting pose.
She looks like she is in a calm somewhat restful state. If it is Chinook, she is starting to get very round from her high calorie diet. Great for building up fat reserve.
Yes, nice close up of Chinook. Right now it looks almost like she’s lying on snow. =)
thank you for the great cam shots lately! I love seeing the whole area that the bears have, not just the water. it is much larger than I envisioned. the close up shots are great! of course it is alway fun to watch our lapper in the pool,and watch when they have a real game of trying to sink the ball going on for what seems like a long time sometimes! they really seem to have alot of fun! when you can’t slide down hills of snow, (only on snow days), you do the next best thing! ( swim and play ball! ) they have a great life right where they are. everything provided for their needs. no hunting for survival. just bliss! hopefully, a zoo in the U.S.A. (S.D.Z.) will be successful with new born cubs! it would be quite the event! it has been a long time since a polar bear has given birth in our country. 1990′s? thanks for the up-date!
Margaret #15, yes that’s Chinook. She’s taken to lying like that with her paws over the edge, almost but not quite toppling into the water. She’s looking good!
An incredible blog. It should be published and sent out to be read for all news media, published in newspapers and read in school classrooms. You said it all simply and to the point, in a manner that everyone can appreciate. Thank you and when will we find out if Chinook is expecting?
Thanks everyone for all your interest in the SDZ polar bears and polar bear conservation. We do hope to have a den camera set up in Chinook’s den. We feel it is very important to share this amazing view with the world. We still don’t know for sure if Chinook is pregnant, though, so we, like you, are waiting anxiously for some sign from her that will let us know. We’ll keep you all posted!
It is SO NICE to see all three bears in the water swimming right now! Life at the Plunge at SDZ is sweet!
BTW, that is a lovely photo of Chinook. When she is clean her fur absolutely shimmers, almost like a silvery-white!
Oh what a life, lying on your favourite palm fronds in the morning sunshine and rubbing your head all over them. Luxury.