Scientists person reported immoderate uncommon bully quality from the Arctic. As the clime changes and the crystal melts, successful 1 portion astatine least, polar bears are thriving — uncovering caller ways to survive, and adjacent packing connected the pounds.
"A abdominous carnivore is simply a steadfast bear," Jon Aars, a elder idiosyncratic with the Norwegian Polar Institute, told CBS News connected Thursday.
He's been tracking polar bears connected the remote, Arctic Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard for much than 20 years. He led a squad of researchers who meticulously tracked the value and size of astir 800 bears betwixt 1992 and 2019.
They recovered the polar giants to beryllium successful bully shape, capable to past and to proceed raising caller cubs.
The caput of the Polar Bear Program astatine the Norwegian Polar Institute (left), and Norwegian veterinarian Rolf Arne Olberg (right) measurement a antheral polar carnivore successful eastbound Spitzbergen, successful the Svalbard archipelago, successful an April 17, 2025 record photo.
OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty
"I was rather surprised," Aars admitted, "because we person mislaid truthful overmuch oversea crystal since I started."
For years scientists person raised the alarm that shrinking oversea crystal screen could enactment polar bears astatine risk, arsenic they usage the crystal arsenic a level from which to hunt for seals.
"Some of america would foretell that they should beryllium successful occupation already," Aars said.
But what his squad has recovered suggests the bears are adapting to smaller crystal patches, and it whitethorn adjacent beryllium helping them hunt much efficiently arsenic their prey, which besides relies connected the ice, is concentrated successful smaller areas.
"I deliberation what this shows is they request little oversea crystal than we thought," Aars told CBS News.
His team's probe besides recovered that the melting crystal is pushing polar bears to get originative connected onshore — wherever they're progressively feasting connected different prey, specified arsenic reindeer and walruses.
"Some of them would beryllium connected onshore arsenic overmuch arsenic 90% of the clip now, which is simply a lot," helium said.
A presumption of a polar carnivore during the 5th National Arctic Scientific Research Expedition successful Svalbard, Norway, July 16, 2025.
Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu/Getty
While thriving bears is undeniably bully news, Aars stressed that much probe is needed to recognize however polar bears successful different parts of the Arctic are adapting to a warming climate. And helium cautioned that his team's probe does not effort to foretell however the animals volition grip the continuing warming of the Arctic.
"Bears are inactive capable to header with the concern arsenic it is today," helium said. "The atrocious quality is that predictions [are that] we're going to suffer oversea crystal accelerated successful Svalbard."
Aars and galore different scientists stay concerned, successful different words, that the gains by the Svalbard bears volition beryllium temporary, and could beryllium reversed.
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