Polar bears in Antarctica

[Fiver]

@bordelond

I’m not sure this is a 100% safe assumption. The Antarctic as a whole is considerably colder than the Arctic. However, coastal portions of the Antarctic would probably do just fine for polar bears.

Yeah, the Antarctic on average is 30 degrees Celsius colder than the Arctic, so we shouldn’t assume polar bears could live just anywhere down there.

Assuming this introduction could be accomplished with a minimum of impact, it deserves (almost wrote “bears”) consideration. It’s expected that the Arctic ice cap could become seasonal ice within the next few decades, which means polar bears could become extinct if something isn’t done.

The polar bear’s range has already shrunk in historic times. In pre-Columbian Europe they were known as “white bears” because they ranged much farther south than just the Arctic.

Temperature Cite:

http://www.visitandlearn.co.uk/deployment02-03/wilderness5.asp

Couldn’t find a cite about “white bears,” so I won’t swear to it.

[jgroub]

@Cisco

Unless there is already a variant for white pups (or one randonly shows up pretty quickly), it won’t do anything. They’ll die.

You mean two, don’t you?

[Cervaise]

If the gene is dominant, it only takes one.

[Milkman_Dan]

@Fiver

Assuming this introduction could be accomplished with a minimum of impact, it deserves (almost wrote “bears”) consideration.

How could it be accomplished with a minimum of impact? The bears would be able to eat everything in sight, seeing as how most Antarctic species have no defence against land-based predators.

[Random]

@wevets

…and most important of all, that meddling Encyclopedia Brown will be shown up for once and for all!

I love this board.

[Aceospades]

@RandomLetters

No, No, No. We should introduce dogs to handle the feral cats.

And then have the polar bears handle the feral dogs.

And then of course we’ll have to introduce mutated giant animatronic rats from the future to handle the feral polar bears. And then all will be right.

[Fiver]

@Milkman Dan

How could it be accomplished with a minimum of impact? The bears would be able to eat everything in sight, seeing as how most Antarctic species have no defence against land-based predators.

Beats me. Do I look like a marine biologist? Maybe they’d have to fence off an island or something. I’m not saying it would be easy.

[Laughing_Lagomorph]

@Smeghead

“Honest, officer, that’s not my polar bear! I don’t KNOW how it got into my pants!”

Say, is that a polar bear in your pants…?

[Crandolph]

@Fiver

Beats me. Do I look like a marine biologist?

Um… no!