Overview

• Researchers equipped 20 polar bears in northern Canada with cameras, revealing significant weight loss due to reduced sea ice.
• Polar bears attempt to adapt by eating terrestrial foods and resting more, but these strategies fail to prevent weight loss.
• The ice-free season in western Hudson Bay has extended by three weeks since 1979, exacerbating the bears' plight.
• Scientists predict an additional five to ten days without sea ice per decade, further threatening polar bear survival.
• Conservation efforts are critical as polar bears face functional extinction due to climate change and habitat loss.