Wildlife

Polar Bears Face Food Shortage Crisis Amid Climate Change

New research published in the journal Science on Thursday found that polar bears have metabolic rates 60 percent higher than scientists previously thought, meaning the animals require more food to survive their harsh Arctic environment than was previously known.

Polar bears already face challenges due to the effects of climate change on natural habitats, and the new information means their ability to adapt to receding sea ice will become even more difficult.

The polar bear’s diet is high in fat, supplied largely by hunting seals, but with less Arctic ice, scientists worry that the bears will have to walk or swim greater and greater distances for food with each passing year.

The researchers used radio collars to track nine female polar bears near the Beaufort Sea. Using collected blood samples, scientists found that five of the bears lost body mass due to malnutrition. Four of the bears lost 10 percent body weight in just a 10-day period.

Over 77,000 square miles of winter sea ice have disappeared in the last 40 years, leaving the polar bears with an enormously reduced hunting area.