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Scientists: Hungry Polar Bears Eating Food Waste to Survive

Scientists from the U.S. and Canada say Arctic¹ warming is reducing the food supply for polar bears.

来自美国和加拿大的科学家表示，北极变暖使得北极熊的食物供应正在减少。

The animals are forced to look for food at waste sites.

这种动物被迫在垃圾场寻找食物。

That is causing problems for both the bears and humans.

这给北极熊和人类都带来了问题。

A report on the scientists’ findings² recently appeared in the publication³ Oryx.

一份有关该项科学家调查结果的报告最近发表在《羚羊》杂志上。

Polar bears normally⁴ hunt seals.

北极熊通常捕食海豹。

But a warming climate is reducing the amount of sea ice.

但气候变暖使得海冰的数量正在减少。

The bears need sea ice in order to move around and find seals.

北极熊需要海冰才能四处活动和寻找海豹。

With the usual food running low, the bears are coming off the ice and onto land.

随着往常的食物越来越少，北极熊离开冰面来到陆地上。

They get closer to areas where humans place waste, including bones from whale hunts and used food packages.

它们离人类放置垃圾（包括捕鲸的骨头和用过的食物包装）的地方越来越近。

The bears often end up eating the food packaging when trying to get to the food inside.

当北极熊试图吃里面的食物时，最终往往会吃掉食物包装。

Since their bodies cannot break down the material, the bears can develop blockages⁵ that can result in sickness and even death.

由于北极熊的身体无法分解这种物质，它们可能会出现堵塞，从而导致疾病甚至死亡。

In addition, people living close to the area where waste is collected sometimes shoot the bears because they fear the animals might hurt people.

此外，住在垃圾收集区附近的人们有时会射杀北极熊，因为他们担心这种动物可能会伤害人。

Andrew Derocher is a biologist at the University of Alberta in Canada.

安德鲁·德罗谢尔是加拿大阿尔伯塔大学的生物学家。

He helped write the report.

他帮助撰写了这份报告。

He said, “Bears and garbage are a bad association⁶.”

他说：“熊和垃圾是不好的联想。”

Derocher added that scientists have already seen black bears and brown bears eat food waste in other parts of the world.

德罗谢尔还说，科学家已经在世界其他地方看到黑熊和棕熊吃食物垃圾。

“Now,” he said, “it’s an issue developing with polar bears.”

“现在，”他说，“这是一个与北极熊有关的问题。”

The bears have been found at garbage collection places in Russia and in the American state of Alaska.

在俄罗斯和美国阿拉斯加州的垃圾收集处都发现了北极熊。

Scientists say the problem will only get worse for the bears as more humans move into their territory.

科学家表示，随着越来越多的人类进入北极熊的领地，这个问题只会变得更糟。

One area where the bears live is Nunavut, Canada.

加拿大的努纳武特是北极熊生活的一个地区。

The human population there is expected to increase by over 40 percent by 2043.

预计到2043年，那里的人口数量将会增加40%以上。

As more humans move in, the waste becomes more of a problem because it is hard to manage in frozen⁷ lands.

随着越来越多的人迁入，垃圾变得越来越成问题，因为在冰冻的土地上很难处理垃圾。

The ground is frozen, which means the garbage cannot be buried.

地面结冰，这意味着垃圾无法被掩埋。

It is costly⁸ to send the waste out on trucks.

用卡车把垃圾运出去的成本很高。

The scientists say more government money is needed to help the problem.

科学家表示，需要更多的政府资金来帮助解决这个问题。

Derocher said meetings between people and bears are increasing already.

德罗谢尔说，人和熊见面的次数已经在增加。

"It's surprising just how many places that never had polar bear problems are now having emerging⁹ issues," he said.

他说：“令人惊讶的是，许多从未有过北极熊问题的地方现在出现了新的问题。”

I’m Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。