THE ENDANGERED SPECIE: WALRUS

In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently reported that 131 walruses, mostly calves and yearlings, were trampled to death in Alaska by other walruses. This is a clear and urgent signal that the sea ice is nowhere to be found.

The walrus typically spends much of its time resting on sea ice. But, as global warming melts its icy habitat, it has no place else to go but to land. It’s not uncommon for walruses to gather on shore in the fall months, but they are currently gathering in alarmingly large numbers and arriving much earlier than in previous years.

On land, the situation continues to be deadly, particularly for young pups that could easily be crushed. The more than 3,500 animals crowded together in one area in Alaska could lead to additional stampedes and deaths. What’s more, these walruses face nutritional and physical stress since they have to work twice as hard to obtain food. Instead of diving off the ice down to the sea floor where they feed, they now have to swim long distances from the shore to and from their feeding grounds.