Thousands of walruses die in stampede

This past summer and fall on the Russian side of the Bering Strait an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 walruses out of a population of 20o,000 died in stampedes. Walruses are susceptible to stampedes when they congregate in huge numbers. Sight of a polar bear, a hunter, or a low-flying plan can cause them to flood into the water. Some scientists see this as another consequence of global warming. Walruses dive into the water to eat clams and snails, but since they cannot swim indefinitely, they often rest on sea ice or land for a few weeks at a time. However warm weather, ocean currents and winds contributed to ice disappearances. This caused walruses to stay ashore on land eariler and longer and in greater numbers. Lack of sea ice in the summer could cause walruses to strip the coastal areas of food and further reduce their numbers. Most of the animals that were crushed were young and weak including many calves that were born in the spring.

Posted by: Gina Sciartilli (12)