Brown bear cubs in Japan die of starvation amid salmon shortage
Source: The Guardian
Brown bear cubs in Japan die of starvation amid salmon shortage
Experts blame rising sea temperatures caused by climate crisis for cub deaths at Unesco heritage site
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Tue 26 Sep 2023 08.39 BST
Last modified on Tue 26 Sep 2023 11.39 BST
As many as eight in 10 brown bear cubs born this year in a remote part of northern Japan have died amid a shortage of salmon, with experts blaming rising sea temperatures caused by the climate crisis.
Along with acorns, pink salmon are an important source of food for the estimated 500 brown bears living along Hokkaido’s Shiretoko peninsula, a Unesco world heritage site known for its dramatic coastline and wild animals.
Local officials reacted with alarm after a tour boat operator spotted a starving bear cub desperately searching for food on the peninsula’s eastern coast this month. The bear was reportedly turning over rocks and rummaging through piles of beached seaweed in search of food.
Pink salmon that hatch in rivers in Hokkaido spend the winter in the sea, before returning to streams in Shiretoko between August and October to lay eggs. Brown bears typically lie in wait for the salmon as they make their way upstream, but have been forced to swim in the sea because of the shortage of river fish.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/26/brown-bear-cubs-in-japan-die-of-starvation-amid-salmon-shortage
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