In a twist, polar bears are getting fatter in the Norwegian Arctic. A surprising new study in the Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports found that despite their icy hunting grounds in the Svalbard archipelago shrinking, the massive predators are defying the odds and gaining body fat by turning to land-based food sources. Check out these incredible photos of the arctic giants thriving in the face of climate change.
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Barents Sea, has seen a sharp decline in sea ice over the decades. In this photo, a scientist points to a GPS tracking map of female polar bears in the region over the course of a year. Photo: AFP
Scientists ensure that a polar bear has been properly sedated before examining it. Photo: AFP
Polar bears in Svalbard are feasting more on the eggs of wild geese and ducks as their preferred hunting grounds disappear. Some are even chasing down reindeer. Photo: AFP
French spatial scientist Marie-Anne Blanchet examines bear cubs before taking tissue biopsies and blood samples from their sedated mother in eastern Spitzbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago. Photo: AFP
