Polar Bears Changing Diet Due to Climate Change

Polar bears have been forced to shift their dietary habits, particularly in terms of the prey that they target due to the increase in sea ice melting. And this is even more of a cause for concern since polar bears are now on the list of threatened species on the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Ordinarily accustomed to hunting seal pups, polar bears have now been forced to hunt different prey and consume a combination of vegetation and different animal life since the sea ice begins to melt earlier and freeze later during the year. This new weather pattern has minimized the opportunity for polar bears to hunt seal pups.

Polar bears have been spending more time hunting on land where they have been exploring alternative food, according to a study conducted by scientists at the Museum of Natural History. But Robert Rockwell, a researcher at the Museum of Natural History, says that polar bears are much more resilient to climate change, contrary to popular belief.

For example, Rockwell and Linda Gormezano (another researcher at the museum) filmed recordings of polar bears during mid-to-late summer hunting snow geese. They found an opportune time to prey on the geese as they were replacing their primary flight feathers.

Other studies have shown similar findings. The journal of Ecology and Evolution conducted a study through the sampling of polar bear stool and found that their diets have shifted significantly over the past 40 years. They also found that the bears were hunting snow geese in addition to caribou.

These various studies have shown that polar bears are beginning to exercise "flexible foraging behavior" while adapting to the changes in the environment. It is believed that their ability to alter their hunting strategies and diet stems from their genetic heritage with brown bears.

Although the polar bears are susceptible to climate change, they have been finding ways to adapt, which is a positive sign as scientists continue to tackle the issue of global warming.