Because sea ice is retreating, polar bears are spending more and more days a year on land. There they try to stay alive with berries, garbage and carcasses.
Every autumn, a natural spectacle takes place in Churchill, Canada, which attracts thousands of tourists: When the sea freezes over, the polar bears from the hinterland come out of their summer quarters, pass the settlement and migrate out onto the sea ice. After all, this is their native habitat. From late spring to early summer they hunt seals in the pack ice, which give birth to their young at this time. However, due to global warming, the ice-free periods have lengthened considerably, meaning that polar bears have to spend more and more time on land. There they are increasingly being observed feeding on bird eggs, berries or human food waste. This gave hope that Ursus maritimus might still be able to adapt to climate change.