Arctic bears adapt: Svalbard polar bears stay healthy despite melting ice

A Scientific Reports study of hundreds of Svalbard polar bears finds their body condition improved from 2000 to 2019 even as sea ice declined, suggesting dietary adaptation (more ringed seals and land prey like reindeer, plus scavenging) and regional variability among roughly 20 populations; while other regions like Western Hudson Bay show declines, climate change remains a major threat, and polar bears are not doomed everywhere.