Wild polar bears face growing welfare threats from climate change that reduces sea ice hunting habitat, increasing starvation risk and human-wildlife conflict as bears enter settlements.
Wild polar bears experiencing extended fasting periods as ice-free seasons lengthen face progressive welfare harm from energy deficit, muscle loss, and reduced reproductive success. Female bears with cubs are particularly vulnerable: insufficient fat reserves may cause milk failure and cub mortality. Bears entering communities while starving face the stress of human conflict and risk lethal control. The individual welfare harm of climate-driven food stress is occurring at population scale across Arctic regions. Addressing the root cause through climate action is the only effective long-term welfare intervention; everything else manages symptoms of an ongoing emergency.