Polar bears face existential welfare threats from climate-driven sea ice loss that disrupts their hunting, reproduction, and ultimately survival across their Arctic range.
Polar bear welfare is inseparable from the climate crisis — the primary welfare threat is the destruction of the Arctic sea ice ecosystem that makes their survival possible. Individual bears experiencing extended fasting during longer open-water seasons suffer acute nutritional stress, with mothers and cubs particularly vulnerable. The welfare trajectory for polar bears without dramatic climate action is severe deterioration culminating in regional or global extinction. In the short term, reducing human-bear conflicts in communities where bears are forced to forage on land is an important welfare intervention. Longer term, the most significant action for polar bear welfare is aggressive climate change mitigation that slows or stops Arctic ice loss.