The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) outfitted four female polar bears with cameras. These “selfie” cameras takes viewers inside the lives of polar bears, and how they are managing with the shrinking of their habitat. The females reside on sea ice, just north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Dr. Todd Atwood stated the team tried equipping the bears with video cameras in 2013, but the arctic conditions defeated the camera batteries. This year, the researchers developed weather proof camera collars, and are happy to report it is working successfully. This past Friday, the team released some footage of the views from inside the life of polar bears.
For slightly over two minutes, the polar bear takes us inside her hunting prowess of grabbing a seal from the frigid waters. The viewing is spectacular, as it marks one of the first point of view concept researchers have received when it comes to these beautiful and wild animals.
The study marks more than just an in-depth view, rather it helps researchers with the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Polar Bear Recovery Team. These groups can draft a polar bear Conservation Management plan, and if needed, the plan will help to guide the polar bear conservation response.
Global climate change is a concern in the area, as the loss of sea ice can change the way polar bears hunt, breed and thrive. Atwood states the video allows researchers to gather information “that we wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.” Outside of detecting how polar bears are handling rest periods versus hunting times, researchers were surprised by new discoveries.
From the impressive collective of 40 hours of video footage, Atwood states a female bear meets a male bear as she discovers a seal. The meal causes the two to tussle playfully, almost in a courting fashion. The behavior of playing “around with their food” is a new discovery Atwood shares, stating it gives something for researchers to review.
In previous considerations, scientists stated polar bears waited beside a breathing hole to find food, but the footage shows a polar bear actively pursuing a seal under water. Once the meal is retrieved, the polar bear drops the frozen seal carcass in seawater, a method of possible defrosting, Atwood states.
The camera selfies provided by the polar bears give new clues to their behaviors. The footage will help researchers determine the future conservation efforts for the bears in the arctic.
by Paul Rivera
