The Arctic polar bear population has halved due to global warming.

Photo: Shuttersock, February 4, MINSK . The polar bear population in the western Hudson Bay region has declined by 50% due to global warming, reports .

Scientists from the University of Toronto in CANADA have developed a special "bioenergetics" model, which confirmed that melting ice is shortening polar bears' hunting seasons, forcing the animals to starve and be left without the energy they need for growth and reproduction. The model also allowed them to track the entire life cycle of individual bears, from cub to adult, and compare them with the population average for 1979-2021.

The results showed that over this period, the polar bear population in the region has declined by almost 50%. The weight of the animals has also decreased. The weight of adult females has decreased by 39 kg, and that of yearling cubs by 26 kg.

The scientists concluded that due to a lack of food, females produce less MILK, which poses a threat.Cub survival . Furthermore, females are giving birth to fewer cubs. Their litter size has decreased by 11% compared to almost 40 years ago. Cubs remain with their mothers longer because they are too weak to survive on their own.

Western Hudson Bay was long considered the world's largest polar bear region. But global warming has led to a decline in these animals. Scientists believe similar processes may be occurring in other parts of the Arctic, which is warming four times faster than the rest of the world.