Thousands of endangered walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) above the Arctic Circle are believed to have died in massive stampedes as they hauled out on the Russian shore of the Chukchi Sea earlier this year. The sea ice has disappeared because of warmer summer weather. The heavy mammals cannot swim indefinitely and did not have ice floes on which to rest. Herds as big as 40,000 gathered at Point Schmidt, a haul out not used by them in a century. When walruses come together in large herds, they are prone to stampedes when disturbed. Scientists have reports of hundreds of walruses dead from internal injuries and crushing. Mostly the weakest animals and the young were killed. Biologist Anatoly Kochnev of Russia's Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography estimates that 3000 to 4000 animals died which is two or three times the usual number. Kochnev said the animals only started to appear on shore in the 1990s after the sea ice began to recede. He said the reason for the change in conditions is global warming. [AP report]
Monday, December 17, 2007
Walruses Caught in Arctic Meltdown
Thousands of endangered walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) above the Arctic Circle are believed to have died in massive stampedes as they hauled out on the Russian shore of the Chukchi Sea earlier this year. The sea ice has disappeared because of warmer summer weather. The heavy mammals cannot swim indefinitely and did not have ice floes on which to rest. Herds as big as 40,000 gathered at Point Schmidt, a haul out not used by them in a century. When walruses come together in large herds, they are prone to stampedes when disturbed. Scientists have reports of hundreds of walruses dead from internal injuries and crushing. Mostly the weakest animals and the young were killed. Biologist Anatoly Kochnev of Russia's Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography estimates that 3000 to 4000 animals died which is two or three times the usual number. Kochnev said the animals only started to appear on shore in the 1990s after the sea ice began to recede. He said the reason for the change in conditions is global warming. [AP report]