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Footage shot in the Arctic by scientists shows a polar bear feasting on a seal atop a drifting slab of sea ice. In another video, a female bear crosses a vast, frozen expanse, trailed by her two cubs. Elsewhere, a male bear roams through the snow. These mammals appear healthy – far from the images of emaciated bears that have sparked concern in recent years.
In the far north, Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago, is a paradox. Climate change has warmed the region faster than anywhere else on Earth, and its sea ice is shrinking more rapidly than in any other ice-bound area. Yet, the physical condition of adult polar bears has not worsened over the past 25 years. In fact, it improved after 2000, according to a study published on Thursday, January 29, in Scientific Reports, based on long-term monitoring in the Barents Sea. This may be only a respite before an expected decline.
