The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Friday released the first-ever video shot from the perspective of a polar bear on Arctic sea ice. The video, which was recorded using a video collar device, shows a bear walking on sea ice, swimming, attempting to eat a frozen seal and playing with a potential mate. (Fair warning: The seal portion of the video is quite gory).
Scientists led by Todd Atwood, who works at USGS' polar bear research program, applied video camera collars to four female polar bears on the sea ice north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in April. The footage provides rare insight into the bears' daily lives and activities on the ice.
According to the USGS, the video collars were used as part of a study designed to determine how polar bears are responding to sea ice loss from climate change. Until now, most data on the bears was gathered using radio collars and satellite tracking techniques, but that mainly gave researchers knowledge about a bear's location.
The collars only remain on the bears for up to 10 days, but even that small amount of time is enough to shed light on the creature's activities. More information is needed in order for scientists to establish a polar bear conservation plan, as is required under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. In 2008, the polar bear was listed as a threatened species due to the loss of sea ice, which is its main habitat.