Polar Bears Suffering from Severe Foot Injuries Due to Changing Ice Conditions
A recent study by scientists from the University of Washington has revealed that at least two polar bears are facing rare injury conditions.
They are found with large ice chunks firmly stuck to their feet. Beneath the ice, the bears’ paw pads are deeply cut and bleeding.
Image of a large ice chunk stuck to a polar bear’s foot (Photo: WU).
“I have never seen anything like this before. They cannot run, and even walking is difficult,” said Kristin Laidre, a marine ecologist.
According to the research team, these ice balls may form from slushy snow sticking to the edges of the bears’ foot pads. This creates traction for polar bears to move on slippery surfaces.
Initially, the snow only accumulates on the pads, but then it freezes into a hard layer, gradually forming ice masses up to 30 cm in diameter.
The danger lies in the fact that these ice blocks are not only stuck to the bears’ feet. They are firmly attached to the skin, causing the bears’ skin to tear as they move. “When you touch the bear’s foot, you can clearly feel that they are in excruciating pain,” Kristin Laidre added.
The study indicates that the bears affected by the process of “freezing feet” are primarily adult males, who tend to travel longer distances and weigh significantly more than females or cubs.
In a survey of 61 polar bear individuals from the Kane Basin population, researchers found that 31 bears experienced this condition.
The underlying cause of this phenomenon is still being investigated. However, experts suggest that the accumulation of ice on the bears’ feet may be a consequence of rising temperatures occurring in the Arctic.
Specifically, heat waves here create slushy snow that sticks to the bears’ feet as they move. This layer is then covered by a harder ice layer, due to the disrupted freeze-thaw cycle of ice in the Arctic.
Climate change is also leading to more frequent rainfall in the Arctic, creating favorable conditions for the formation of slushy ice, as snow mixes with the ground, turning into mud.
In addition to polar bears, the sled dog population in the area is also facing similar issues. Arctic hunters report that they must regularly trim the fur between the pads of their dogs to prevent ice accumulation, which could cause long-term injuries.
