Brown bears in Japan’s northernmost island usually gorge on salmon this time of year, bulking up for hibernation. However, salmon numbers are alarmingly low, leaving bears on Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula in a state of starvation. Last week, tourists on a boat tour managed to capture images of a malnourished bear cub desperately searching for food by turning rocks over on a beach and sifting through seaweed, as reported by the Asahi Shimbun.
This marks the second consecutive year with significantly reduced numbers of pink salmon, and experts attribute this to rising sea temperatures caused by climate change, according to the Guardian. While bears typically wait for salmon to swim upstream, they have been forced to swim in the sea in search of fish. Katsuya Noda, a tour boat operator, grimly remarks, “Some bears have become incredibly thin and are struggling to survive. Just like last year, there are no fish in the rivers.”
Acorns are another vital food source for the bears, but this year’s acorn supply is insufficient, says researcher Masami Yamanaka from the Shiretoko Nature Foundation. Yamanaka estimates that up to 80% of this year’s bear cubs have perished. “It’s an incredibly dire situation,” Yamanaka emphasizes.
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