Polar bears dying out in Russian region: expert (click here)
Oct 24, 2008
MOSCOW (AFP) — Polar bears are dying out in the remote Arctic region of Chukotka because of melting ice and increased killing by humans, an expert with the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned on Friday.
"If this tendency continues, the population will disappear very quickly, said Nikita Ovsyanikov, a researcher from Wrangel Island natural park in Chukotka who has spent the past 18 years studying polar bears in the region.
"We need to create new protected areas in the Arctic," said Ovsyanikov, who has conducted research on behalf of IFAW.
The shrinking of the Arctic ice sheet is forcing more bears to live on land in the summer where they often have trouble finding food, which means they have to go into villages to scavenge and are more likely to be shot, he said....
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Local Time: on November 4, 2008 at 8:22 PM AKST (12:22 AM EST on November 5, 2008)
Elevation :: 33 ft/ 10 m
Temperature :: 34 °F / 1 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Windhill :: 34 °F / 1 °C
Humidity :: 87%
Dew Point :: 30 °F / -1 °C
Wind :: Calm
Pressure :: 29.80 in / 1009 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds :: Overcast 7000 ft / 2133 m
(Above Ground Level)
