Scientists reveal that bears have stopped hibernating

[donsu]

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2091875.ece




Bears have stopped hibernating in the mountains of northern Spain, scientists revealed yesterday, in what may be one of the strongest signals yet of how much climate change is affecting the natural world.

In a December in which bumblebees, butterflies and even swallows have been on the wing in Britain, European brown bears have been lumbering through the forests of Spain's Cantabrian mountains, when normally they would already be in their long, annual sleep.

-snip-

Spanish meteorologists predict that this year is likely to be the warmest year on record in Spain, just as it is likely to be the warmest year recorded in Britain (where temperature records go back to 1659). Globally, 2006 is likely to be the sixth warmest year in a record going back the mid-19th century.
-snip-
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[Tellurian]

1. Yep, and they are hungry! nm

[Kagemusha]

2. They always were. The difference is, there's food to go after now

Though I remember an earlier thread on this and the reactions were "WHAT IF THEY FIND NO FOOD!?!"

Well they're out there because there is food. If there wasn't, their bodies might've flipped the switch by now. That's why my quibble with the original article is "revolution in ursine behavior". No, it's a revolution in ursine circumstance. The behavior was programmed into them long, long ago.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I have a question about their food supply

What if this leads to them overeating their territory? Does the natural balance require a period of lower predatory feeding in order to sustain its population?

Natural balance is such a delicate thing, I can't help but wonder about the longterm effects this may have.

[Bandit]

3. Bears never have hibernated

They do what is called a "winter sleep" which is not the same thing as real hibernation. Bears often wake during the winter and move about some..

[H2O Man]

5. Correct. n/t

[Robbien]

4. Bears and Butterflies in the winter

Shakes head

I wonder how long the plants and flowers will be able to sustain not going dormant over winter months.

[soothsayer]

7. Same thing happening in Russia!

[Az]

8. A fly flew past me while opening my garage the other day

Dec 20 Detroit Michigan and the flies are still buzzing around. Freaking great. We melted the planet.