The Walruses are feeling the heat as well

It is becoming all too familiar to hear stories like this one where a polar bear wanders further south than normal (NWF on climate change and polar bears). Unfortunately global climate change is threatening every one's favorite long toothed piniped the walrus as well. Now most people see walruses at zoos and other places similar to Sea World and this is probably how most people picture them:



However, as people who have seen the BBC production Planet Earth (avaliable from Amazon here) have seen these animals are an important part of the Arctic ecosystem. They, as with the polar bears, depend on large expanses of sea ice to rest especially for the young who are not yet physically able to swim long distances that are need if they are resting on shore. Apparently they are resting more and more on shore last year with large numbers in Russia and now this year in large numbers on the North American shore. As I mentioned this is bad for the young (from article above):

Before the young walruses can haul-out onshore, they must survive an extended period offshore without sea-ice to rest on and must successfully make the long voyage with their mothers to the coast. As sea ice has receded over the last decade, young walruses are increasingly separated from their mothers, drifting in the open-sea.

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Where the young walruses survive the ordeal offshore, they find new perils along the coastline. When walruses congregate in large numbers onshore, they may stampede into the water if frightened. The smaller females and young may be trampled to death. This has occurred along the Russian shoreline in recent years; and was documented last year along the Alaskan shore.

There is no doubt that climate change is happening and we have reached the point where talking about it is doing nothing we need to act!