Polar bears are experiencing welfare harm directly attributable to climate change, as reduced sea ice shortens their hunting season and forces extended fasting periods.
Polar bears facing extended fasting periods experience the physical and psychological effects of prolonged energy deficit: muscle catabolism, immune compromise, and reproductive failure. Cubs born to nutritionally depleted mothers have lower survival rates. Bears that enter the ice-free season in poor body condition have reduced hunting success when ice returns, compounding welfare impacts across seasons. The welfare trajectory is clear: as sea ice loss accelerates, the proportion of polar bears experiencing significant nutritional stress will increase. Addressing polar bear welfare requires climate action at a scale beyond any individual or local intervention, making polar bears a symbol of how climate change creates animal welfare consequences.