Wild Polar Bear Welfare and Sea Ice Loss

Polar bears are the iconic symbol of climate change impacts, but their welfare story is specific and urgent. Declining sea ice is causing measurable nutritional stress and reduced reproductive success.

Key Facts

Polar bears depend on sea ice as a hunting platform for ringed seals, their primary prey
Hudson Bay polar bears now spend 3 weeks longer onshore fasting than they did in the 1980s
Female polar bears in poor body condition produce fewer, smaller, and less viable cubs
Some polar bear subpopulations have declined by 40% or more as sea ice conditions have worsened
Polar bears have begun scavenging terrestrial food sources, but these cannot replace the caloric density of seals

Welfare Considerations

Polar bear welfare is deteriorating measurably as sea ice loss extends fasting periods. Bears that cannot access adequate prey develop nutritional stress that manifests as reduced body condition, failed reproduction, and increased aggression as food competition intensifies. Cubs born to nutritionally stressed mothers are smaller, less viable, and face higher mortality. Conflict with humans increases as bears enter communities seeking food, resulting in bears being killed in management actions. Climate mitigation is the only fundamental solution to polar bear welfare. Research programs tracking individual bear condition over time provide welfare data that makes the impact of climate change on individual animals concrete and documentable.

What You Can Do

Support climate action as the primary polar bear welfare intervention
Donate to Polar Bears International for research and advocacy
Reduce your carbon footprint and support emissions reduction policies
Oppose any hunting of polar bears from nutritionally stressed or declining populations