Wildlife Conservation

Wild Polar Bear Sea Ice Decline Welfare

Arctic sea ice decline is reducing the availability of the platform polar bears need to hunt seals, causing nutritional stress across the species range.

Key Facts

Arctic sea ice extent has declined 13 percent per decade since satellite monitoring began
Polar bears rely on sea ice to access their primary prey of ringed seals
Longer ice-free seasons force bears to fast for extended periods onshore
Some populations have begun showing declining body condition and reduced reproduction

Welfare Considerations

Polar bears experiencing extended fasting onshore show metabolic changes and declining body condition that constitute genuine welfare harm. Pregnant females that cannot accumulate sufficient fat reserves fail to produce cubs or produce cubs with low survival probability. The connection between climate change and individual polar bear welfare is direct and causal. Climate mitigation is the most important welfare intervention for this species.

What You Can Do

Take personal climate action to reduce your carbon footprint
Advocate for strong climate policy as the primary polar bear welfare intervention
Support polar bear population monitoring programs
Donate to organizations working on both climate advocacy and polar bear conservation