Pacific walruses are being forced onto crowded land haul-outs as Arctic sea ice disappears, causing stress, injury, and mortality from stampedes.
Walruses at crowded land haul-outs experience chronic stress from density, repeated disturbance, and fatal stampedes. Calves are particularly vulnerable to trampling deaths. This welfare crisis is directly driven by Arctic sea ice loss from climate change. Reducing disturbance at haul-out sites provides local welfare protection while climate action addresses the root cause.