Blood sometimes stains the layer of snow in the depths of the Arctic Circle. At the end of the blood trail, a scene of an adult polar bear beside the carcass of a cub has become increasingly common in the shadow of global warming. In an interview with CNN in Arabic, Spanish photographer Juan Saz Espinosa explained that the scene shows "a male polar bear eating a bear cub at a cliff. A harsh image representing a powerful moment in nature."
Human-induced climate change is accelerating the loss of sea ice, which gives polar bears less time to feed and build up fat reserves. The days when these mammals are forced to go without food are increasing. The photographer explained, "If food is not available, cannibalistic behavior starts to emerge among the polar bear populations, with weak cubs becoming targets."
These painful scenes evoke feelings of sorrow for the small cub, according to the Spanish photographer, who clarified: "We can see many images of predation in Africa where a big cat hunts its prey, but here in the picture, the prey is a cub from the same species."
