This text is taken from our newsletter “Le Courrier de la Planète” of May 3, 2022. To subscribe, click here.
The slaughter of the polar bear lost in the Gaspé last weekend sparked strong reactions, but it would have been very difficult to save this animal, according to the experts consulted by The duty. They also point out that this unusual situation symbolizes above all the impacts of human activity on the climate and ecosystems, which are likely to worsen.
The bear “neutralized” on Saturday by order of the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP) was a young male of five to six years old, confirmed the Dr Stéphane Lair, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal. It was his team who carried out the necropsy on Monday of this healthy animal weighing more than 300 kilograms (about 650 pounds).
This wildlife specialist also believes that the MFFP made the right decision in choosing to shoot this polar bear. “There is a question of public safety which must be considered in such a situation. It is one of the most dangerous species in the world for humans. For the polar bear, humans are prey: they are not afraid. »
Moreover, anesthetizing such an animal, placing it in a sufficiently strong cage and transporting it is a very complex operation, even when the bear is already in captivity. At the Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien and the Aquarium du Québec, which shelter polar bears, it is explained that such operations are always carefully planned.
For example, anesthesia, which is much simpler to administer on an animal whose weight and age is known and which is confined to a limited space — which was not the case with bears in the Gaspé —, may take up to 25 minutes to take effect. And it never lasts more than two hours. “Then what do we do with this bear?” We don’t know what subpopulation it comes from, so we can’t know if we’re going to reintroduce it to the right area. It’s also possible that he’s wandering off again. And you have to take into account the costs of chartering a plane,” argues Stéphane Lair.
Diet changes
Where did this polar bear come from, far from its natural habitat? Hard to say, according to Dominique Berteaux, professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Quebec in Rimouski. It is possible that this is the same bear that had been seen on the North Shore, east of Havre-Saint-Pierre, earlier in April.
“For 20 years, there have been more and more sightings on the coast of Newfoundland, but also in southern Labrador, in the context of a strong increase in harp seals in the region. Bears come to eat young seals, and their population may have increased in this area. But it’s still unusual to see bears on the North Shore and in the Gaspé,” he explains.
For Stéphane Lair, the presence of this imposing predator outside its usual range could result from upheavals in the diet of the largest carnivore on the planet. “There seem to be changes in the diet. They were very dependent on seals, which they hunted on the pack ice. But studies indicate that the decrease in ice cover that is associated with global warming seems to encourage bears to diversify their prey. Maybe they move around more for food. »
In this context, the Dr Lair believes that saving this wandering bear would not have had any beneficial effects for the species. “What we see with this case is probably a case linked to imbalances in ecosystems associated with global warming. If we want to save the bears, we have to encourage people to sell one of their two cars, to use public transport more and to fly less. It is our dependence on fossil fuels that threatens polar bears. »
Warming
The polar bear is listed as Special Concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. There are three distinct populations that frequent the territory of Quebec, for an estimated total of 5,000 individuals. Experts believe, however, that all polar bear populations in the country will be affected by climate change.
“Scientists predict that as global warming and Arctic sea ice reduction continue, polar bears will spend more time on coasts and be found more often in the vicinity of humans in some portions of the Arctic. the range of the species,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada in a written response.
“However, we cannot make a connection between such a general tendency and the case which interests us here. This type of long-distance travel is rare and can be explained by a variety of reasons, ”adds the federal ministry. “The most plausible explanation for the presence of this bear is that the sea ice it used as a platform in its search for food was transported to the Gulf of St. Lawrence by ocean currents. »