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Article: Infanticide and cannibalism of juvenile polar bears (ursus maritimus) in Svalbard.
- Article from:
- Arctic
- Article date:
- September 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A.E. DEROCHER(1) and . WIIG(2)
(Received 29 January 1999; accepted in revised form 9 June 1999)
ABSTRACT. Two instances of infanticide and cannibalism in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were observed in SE Svalbard, at Hopen Island. In the first, an adult male killed three young cubs at a den site and consumed one of them. In the second, an adult male actively pursued, killed, and consumed a dependent yearling. Infanticide of dependent polar bear offspring by adult males may be more common in Svalbard than in other populations because the population is close to carrying capacity or because geographic features reduce spatial segregation of age and sex ...