Wildlife

Polar Bear Sea Ice Welfare

Polar bears are experiencing welfare deterioration as sea ice loss from climate change reduces hunting opportunities, causing malnutrition and increased human conflict.

Key Facts

Polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt their primary prey, ringed seals
Sea ice is declining by approximately 13% per decade in the Arctic
Polar bears fasting on land during ice-free periods lose critical body condition
Starving polar bears increasingly enter human settlements creating conflict

Welfare Considerations

Polar bears experiencing reduced hunting opportunities from sea ice loss suffer from chronic hunger, nutritional stress, and the exhaustion of longer swims to find remaining ice. Starving bears that enter communities face lethal control. The welfare crisis for polar bears is directly driven by climate change and will worsen without dramatic emissions reductions.

What You Can Do

Support ambitious climate action to reduce Arctic sea ice loss
Donate to polar bear conservation and monitoring programs
Support communities in polar bear range developing coexistence strategies
Reduce personal carbon footprint to contribute to climate solutions