Climate change makes brown bears active in winter!

Climate change makes brown bears active in winter!

Cumberland Wildpark Grünau, Österreich - climate change does not take a break in Europe! As current reports show, the Janu temperatures rose by an average of 2.51 degrees. It was also noticeably hotter in Upper Austria, at around 1 degree above average. These mild winter conditions have led to the brown bears more active than usual. As a rule, these majestic animals withdraw in the winter months, but in Cumberland Wildpark Grünau it was observed that they do not withdraw regularly to winter rest. "The animals have not really withdrawn constantly and woke up again and again," explains Managing Director Bernhard Lankmaier. Despite this restlessness, the bear does not seem to lack food because they find enough food.

climate change and its consequences for the brown bear

These observations are more than just an interesting phenomenon; They are also directly related to the long -term effects of climate change on the brown bear population in Europe. According to an international research group, in which scientists from the Senckenberg biodiversity and climate research Center are also involved, the increasing winter temperatures in the past 12,000 years have reduced the reproduction rate of the brown bears and even contributed to their decline. The loss of its habitat, which is largely due to the conversion of natural areas into arable land, is particularly dramatic, a development that was also favored by warmer winter.

like Dr. Jörg Albrecht from the Senckenberg research laboratory explains, the high temperatures resulted in less energy for reproduction: "Brown bear females have to use their energy reserves either for winter rest or for reproduction, since they give birth during the winter months." The consequences are devastating: a lower offspring and therefore a slower but unstoppable decline in such populations. These findings underline how important it is to consider climate and human interventions as related factors that endanger the continued existence of the brown bears, as well as vet-magazin.com reported.