OREANDA-NEWS. Researchers this year state the first cold snap in the Pacific part of the Arctic in 20 years, which is unusual due to the global warming that has been observed so far. The cold snap made it possible for polar bears and walruses to resume their usual life on the ice and not go ashore. This observation was shared with RIA Novosti by Anatoly Kochnev, Candidate of Biological Sciences, a researcher at the Beringia National Park, a specialist in marine mammals.

"Cooling is primarily recorded in Chukotka and Alaska, because for the first time in the past 20 years, walruses began to occupy these places on the coast, although this year they were not ... This is not an anomaly, on the contrary, it is a return to normal. Abnormal warming has been observed for the last 20 years. Of course, now the ice is not as thick as 40 years ago, for example, but the quality of the ice is changing. I am glad for walruses and bears, they all finally got a rest, "Kochnev said.

The expert said that for the last 20 years, when the ice got up late, the walruses had a hard time. Walruses were forced to swim hundreds of kilometers from coastal rookeries to feed themselves. He clarified that there are not so many areas with a large number of mollusks and worms that walruses feed on, and so that walruses can get there from coastal rookeries and return, they have to spend too much energy.

According to the scientist, walruses lost a lot of weight, because they had to spend more energy than they received from food. As a result, there were many thin, emaciated walruses, they often died. And now the animals are resting on the ice and feel great. Bears also go to the ice, because when there is no ice, they cannot hunt seals.

The biologist explained that there used to be a threat of a decline in the population of bears and walruses, because the reduction of ice for them is a direct threat to population decline and extinction. The expert noted that if it gets colder further, the area of sea ice will grow again, and there will be no threat to the extinction of northern animals.