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Balding Bears: What Can Be Learned from Alopecia Cases in Alaskan Polar Bears
Alopecia, or hair loss, doesn’t just affect humans. Many mammals including bears, primates, horses, and dogs have exhibited hair loss from various causes including stress, disease, hereditary conditions, or malnutrition. That’s why scientists in Anchorage, Alaska are puzzled over recent findings of polar bears with patchy bald spots and weeping skin lesions. Thirteen of forty-eight bears examined in the Beaufort Sea area had the mysterious symptoms, leading biologists to fear an epidemic may be taking hold. They’ve been taking samples of tissue and blood from the bears but have yet to find a causative agent they believe is responsible.
Two main forms of hair loss in mammals include androgenetic alopecia and alopecia aretea. Androgenetic alopecia involves a genetic inclination towards producing the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which shrinks hair follicles and inhibits growth. Alopecia aretea is a lesser understood process where the immune system mistakes hair follicles for diseased tissue and attacks it, leading to patchy hair loss. Adding to the mystery is the fact that this isn’t the first time polar bears have suddenly begun losing fur.
Tony DeGange, the biology office chief at the USGS Science Center in Anchorage, has stated, "Our data set suggests that this is unusual but not unprecedented." According to Degrange, ten of out of forty-eight bears examined by the team between 1998 and 1999 had a similar condition. Scientists were unable to find the source then, and in the subsequent years the symptoms seemed to disappear.
The recent polar bear balding discovery comes only months after another strange trend involving Alaskan seals and walruses. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), last December sixty seals were found dead in the same territory, and another seventy five were observed to be suffering from an unknown ailment that included hair loss and lesions. The NOAA declared the sudden deaths an “unusual mortality event” and began an investigation into the cause. Biologists feared that the strange symptoms were caused by radioactive waters carried from the Fukushima, Japan, the site of a catastrophic nuclear meltdown in March of 2011, but so far testing has ruled out radiation as the source.
Both trends seemed linked but scientists are unsure how to proceed. “Now we have this unexplained mortality event going on with seals,” stated Degrange on the matter, “and they haven't been successful in figuring out what caused the seal deaths. Is it just a matter of coincidence or is it related? We don't know." A combination of expanding oil development, Artic ice melt, and increased shipping through Alaskan waters has kept polar bears on the endangered list for the past four years. All of the bears exhibiting the symptoms are being remotely monitored, and so far none have shown erratic behavior or sudden death, leaving researchers hopeful that polar bear populations won’t suffer further losses.
Though scientists are still determining the cause of polar bear balding, hair loss in the human realm is less of a mystery. If you’re experiencing hair loss and want to learn more about your options, contact us today. Our representatives will schedule you a free and confidential consultation with our certified hair loss specialists.
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