freeryan.com

More in my ongoing watch of the effects of global warming and climate change.

Walrus can't swim for long periods of time and they depend on the ice along the water's edge to hang out. With the gradual decline of Arctic ice, thanks to the warming of earth's oceans, this creates an over-crowding problem. When something spooks the herd a stampede ensues and invariably the young/weak pay the price.

"As a result, walruses came ashore earlier and stayed longer, congregating in extremely high numbers, with herds as big as 40,000 at Point Shmidt, a spot that had not been used by walruses as a "haulout" for a century, scientists said." (source)

This year, out of 200,000 walrus an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 were killed from stampede. :(