Ice Loss in the Arctic Drives Walruses on Land

This past Wednesday, specialists working with the US Geological Survey made it public news that, as a result of the dramatic ice loss caused by climate change and global warming, the walruses living in the Arctic are left with little choice but seek new breeding grounds and nurseries.

As researchers point out, this situation stands to negatively impact on the overall headcount for the species, seeing how mother walruses will no longer be able to separate themselves from the rest of the colony when the time comes for them to give birth.

This means that, once the baby walrus is born, it can easily be trampled on by the other adults found in its proximity, Our Amazing Planet explains.

Needless to say, these mammals will also have to travel over longer distances in order to reach their feeding grounds, and this ups the risk of being hit by ships.

“This information gives us a better idea of what kind of stressors that Pacific walruses are experiencing right now. We expect to see that this behavior will continue into the future as we experience more climate warming,” ecologist Chad Jay said.