Wildlife Welfare

Polar Bear Welfare and Sea Ice Loss

Polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting seals. Accelerating Arctic warming is reducing sea ice extent and duration, causing starvation, increased terrestrial conflict, and cub mortality.

Key Facts

Sea ice extent has declined approximately 13% per decade since satellite records began
Polar bears depend on sea ice platforms to hunt ringed and bearded seals
In ice-poor years, bears lose weight at rates that reduce survival and reproduction
Some Hudson Bay populations have declined over 30% in recent decades
Bears stranded onshore increasingly raid human settlements, causing conflict and bear mortality

Welfare Considerations

Polar bear welfare is inextricably linked to climate change. Sea ice loss causes a form of slow starvation as bears exhaust fat reserves waiting for ice formation. Cubs are particularly vulnerable: thin mothers produce less milk and cubs born to stressed mothers have reduced survival. The welfare harm to polar bears from climate change is direct, documented, and escalating. Climate mitigation is the most consequential intervention for polar bear welfare.

What You Can Do

Reduce your personal carbon footprint as a direct contribution to polar bear welfare
Support climate policy that reflects the urgency of Arctic warming and wildlife impacts
Donate to organizations monitoring polar bear population health and habitat conditions
Oppose policies that expand fossil fuel extraction in Arctic ecosystems