The polar bear is endemic to the Arctic. But it is a victim of the melting sea ice and the scarcity of its food. Hence the idea of establishing it in Antarctica, which benefits from similar conditions. But is it really possible and desirable?
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Today there are between 22,000 and 31,000 polar bears in the world, spread across five countries around the Arctic Circle. But this iconic species faces serious threats. At the current rate of melting ice, the summer area of its habitat will be reduced by 40% by the middle of the XXIe century and its population will have shrunk by two-thirds, considers the WWF. So why not to implant polar bear on the other pole, in Antarctica? A priori, nothing is against it.
The Antarctic territory extends a roughly equivalent area in winter – it is however half as extensive in summer. Temperatures are similar there (between -10 and -40 ° C, although they can drop lower in Antarctica at altitude). There are seals, which represent 90% of the plantigrade’s food, and also sea lions and walruses.
Penguins wiped out in the blink of an eye
” While the idea sounds appealing, the risks of relocation far outweigh the benefits. Warns the Canadian organization Polar Bears International. The arrival of such a predator, such as thepolar bear, would be a disaster for native species such as penguins or Weddel seals. ” Having no habit of terrestrial danger, penguins could be wiped out in the blink of an eye.eye, especially when they gather in large numbers on the ice floe to reproduce Polar Bears alert. We no longer count the experiences ofintroduction of species out of their natural environment which resulted in a uncontrollable invasion and a rapid disappearance of species endogenous.
The polar bear in Antarctica? A false good idea
Another problem is that polar bears could bring pathogens dangerous for local species. Antarctica has always been isolated from the mainland, it is relatively unspoiled from contaminations. The bear could conversely to be affected by a germ not present in the Arctic. Finally, Antarctica is also facing the rapid melting of its ice cream. Between 2009 and 2018, the continent lost 252 billion tonnes per year, a rate six times higher than during the decade 1979-1990. The polar bear would therefore only find a brief respite at the South Pole.
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