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It is increasingly difficult for polar bears in Canada to survive. The population around Hudson Bay has fallen by more than a quarter in the past five years, according to a Canadian government report.
Every five years, the government counts polar bears around Hudson Bay, a large inland sea in eastern Canada where the animals are common. The town of Churchill has even been dubbed the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Five years ago, more than eight hundred polar bears were counted, this year there were just over six hundred. The decline already started in the 1980s, but has never been so rapid.
According to the report, climate change is the main cause. The polar region is warming faster than the rest of the world, which has major consequences for the habitat available to polar bears. Earlier this year, a polar bear was spotted for the first time in southern Canada.
Ice is also melting faster, reducing polar bear hunting grounds. This leads to less available food, such as seals. Females and young polar bears are particularly affected.
According to lead researcher John Whiteman, polar bears are at high risk of extinction due to starvation. It could happen as early as 2050.
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