As sea ice retreats, polar bears increasingly enter human communities in search of food, creating welfare risks for both bears and humans that require evidence-based management solutions.
Polar bear conflict management in communities must balance the safety needs of human residents with the welfare of individual bears who are responding to climate-driven food scarcity rather than opportunistic behavior. Bears detained in the Polar Bear Jail experience stress from captivity but this intervention prevents lethal outcomes when alternatives are exhausted. The welfare of held bears depends on adequate space, minimal handling, appropriate feeding management, and shortest possible detention before release. Community behavior change that eliminates food attractants reduces conflicts proactively without any welfare cost to bears. The broader context of climate-driven conflict increase means that conflict management must accompany climate policy advocacy to address root causes.