A Dutch expedition to assess climate change in northern areas since its last study in 2015 has had to back off part of the research in Norway’s Arctic Svalbard region because warming has stranded polar bears in the study area.
The bears were left behind when others left on drifting sea ice. Expedition leader Jan Belgers told press “They have missed the bus, so to speak. When the sea ice retreats the bears prefer to stay on the ice but the rapid melting process caught them out.”
That means that the mothers and cubs, who would normally live on seals, must now find other food sources, including goose eggs, reindeer and even grass. And just maybe any curious researcher or one of the tourists accompanying them.
For that reason, whenever the bears are spotted, the humans must back off; they’ve only been able to go ashore three times.
