It’s long been assumed that melting sea ice would spell disaster for polar bears, but scientists studying the creatures in Norway have found the opposite. 

In a report that offers hope for the species, researchers found that polar bears on the island of Svalbard are fatter and healthier than they were in 1992 – despite the number of ice-free days increasing by around 100 per year. 

Polar bears feed mostly on seals, which they hunt from the ice. But researchers believe that their diet is evolving on Svalbard to include land-based prey, such as reindeer and walruses. 

The delicate balance of the Arctic is, like other ecosystems, under grave threat from man-made climate change. A rapid reduction in emissions is required to mitigate the impacts. However, the latest findings offer some good news for a species that’s become a poster child for global heating.  

“If we’d been asked 25 years ago about the consequences of bears spending two fewer months on the ice each year, we would have expected leaner animals, reduced reproduction, and the beginning of a population decline,” said Jon Aars, senior researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute. “Instead, we see that they are in better condition.” 

Image: AWeith/Wikimedia Commons