Polar bears in Svalbard are getting fatter, even as sea ice disappears. The Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean is warming rapidly; winter sea ice lasts for two months less than it did 20 years ago; and bears often have to swim hundreds of miles between hunting grounds and breeding grounds. But the Svalbard bears have put on weight since 2000, a survey found, and their population has probably increased, as they adapt by hunting land animals such as reindeer.
Recovering walrus populations, helped by a 1950 hunting ban, are also providing food. Other polar bear populations, such as in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, are declining, and they may be stable or increasing elsewhere, although data is sparse.