Scientists claim polar bears will not thrive on land food

A group of researchers say polar bears forced off melting sea ice will not find enough food to replace their current diet of fat-laden marine mammals such as seals, a conclusion that contradicts studies indicating that bears may be benefiting from bird eggs, berries, and other land food sources.

Few bears are using land food and what they find can’t replace lipid-rich ringed or bearded seals, said Karyn Rode in a review paper published in the journal, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

The paper addresses recent research documenting bears feeding on land and suggestions that those foods are becoming more important for them, which could increase their chance for survival as summer sea ice recedes, preventing seal hunting.