THE NUMBER OF WALRUSES (ODOBENUS-ROSMARUS) IN SVALBARD IN SUMMER

Walruses were on the verge of extinction in Svalbard prior to becoming totally protected in 1952. The present study attempts to determine th e number of walruses in Svalbard in summer based on aerial, ground and boat surveys. In 1993, 741 walruses were observed, almost all of whic h were males. This population, which is shared with the neighbouring R ussian archipelago Franz Joseph Land, is believed to consist of an equ al number of females. We therefore conclude that the shared population consists of a minimum of about 1450 walruses older than 2 years and a n unknown number of calves.