Polar Bears in Svalbard Thrive Despite Climate Change

Thu Jan 29 2026 22:48:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent study reveals that polar bears in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard are becoming fatter and healthier despite the alarming decline in sea ice attributed to climate change.

In a surprising twist, polar bears on Norway's Svalbard islands have increased in body condition amidst declining sea ice. Research indicates that these bears have adapted their diet, leveraging more land-based food sources like reindeer and walruses to thrive. This adaptation presents a temporary boost, but experts caution that ongoing climate change threatens their long-term survival.

Scientists expected the opposite, but polar bears in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard have become fatter and healthier since the early 1990s, all while sea ice has steadily declined due to climate change.

Polar bears rely on sea ice as a platform from which to hunt the seals that provide them with blubber-rich meals. Their fat reserves serve as energy and insulation, crucial for mothers to produce rich milk for cubs.

Researchers weighed and measured 770 adult polar bears in Svalbard between 1992 and 2019, finding a significant increase in their body fat. They hypothesize that Svalbard bears have adapted to recent ice loss by consuming more land-based prey, such as reindeer and walruses, which have recovered in numbers due to protective measures since the 1950s.

Dr. Jon Aars from the Norwegian Polar Institute expressed surprise at these findings, stating, The fatter a bear is, the better it is, and noting an expected decline in body condition given the profound loss of sea ice. Despite this positive short-term outlook for Svalbard bears, ongoing climate change continues to pose serious threats to their long-term survival.

The findings published in Scientific Reports indicate that while some polar bears are thriving in Svalbard, many other polar bear populations in the Arctic are facing significant declines.