The results of the first phase of the polar bear census in Russia will be announced in mid-March

There are four polar bear populations in Russia: the Barents Sea, Kara, Laptev and Chukotka (Chukotka-Alaska). It was the representatives of the latter that began to be counted last fall. The first stage of the Polar Bear Census took place on Wrangel Island in the Chukchi Sea. This place is considered a "maternity hospital" for polar bears.

“Scientists will hand over the results of the first stage of the census to us in mid-March. After that, we will begin to prepare the second stage: polar bears will be counted in the area of Herald Island, in the sea waters of the Herald and Wrangel Islands, and in the Bear Islands Reserve, - said the head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov, whose words are given in a message on the agency's website.

Monitoring is very important for planning measures for the conservation of polar predators, because information about their numbers is very outdated.

“For monitoring, scientists are extremely interested in the Bear Islands reserve (six islands in the East Siberian Sea of the Arctic Ocean). Since it was here that 20 birth lairs were recorded. This is a fairly high concentration for polar bears,” the report says.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, at birth, cubs are absolutely helpless, completely dependent on their mother and weigh about 500 grams. She-bears give birth to cubs in snowy dens from November to December and leave the den only after four to five months. The cubs stay with their mother for about two years.

Scientists of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Environmental Protection (VNII Ecology), subordinated to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, note that due to climate warming and human activities in the Arctic, it is necessary to update measures to prevent and minimize threats to the species.

“Climate warming is recognized as the main threat to the polar bear. It is accompanied by changes in the ice cover, which leads to a change in seasonal distribution, movement patterns, preferred habitats, both for polar bears and seals - the main prey of the predator. There is an increase in the number of polar bears using land,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said.

According to experts, these changes often lead to a deterioration in the physiological state of animals, a decrease in the number of broods, survival and fertility, an increase in conflict situations between animals and humans, and ultimately to a reduction in numbers.

The state of the polar bear population is also monitored by residents of the coastal villages of the Arctic, volunteers.

“In 2006, the Bear Patrol project was launched and today it represents a major environmental movement. It is supervised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF Russia). The brigades work in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in Yakutia and Chukotka,” the report says.

As noted in the Ministry of Natural Resources, the task of volunteers is to respond as quickly as possible to the visit of a polar bear to the settlement.

“As a rule, with the help of an ATV or a snowmobile, the bear is directed towards the coast. For example, only in Chukotka over the past autumn, patrolmen from the villages of Ryrkaipiy and Billings drove away predators from settlements more than 50 times, without allowing a single accident,” the ministry said.

On February 27, the world celebrated Polar Bear Day.