As sea ice retreats, polar bears spend more time onshore near human settlements, increasing conflict risk and requiring improved coexistence strategies.
Polar bears spending extended periods onshore without access to seal prey experience nutritional stress that makes them more likely to approach humans and settlements for food. Captures, temporary confinement, and relocations cause stress but prevent lethal removal of bears that would otherwise be killed to protect human safety. The underlying driver is climate change reducing sea ice and foraging opportunity.