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How do polar bears use sea ice to hunt seals?
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Polar ecosystem
Southern limit of Arctic tundra and approximate line of demarcation between Low and High Arctic.
Polar bears rely on sea ice as a critical platform for hunting seals, their primary prey. They utilize the ice in several specific ways to secure food:12
- Stalking and Ambush: Polar bears actively stalk seals that are resting on the surface of the ice. They also frequently ambush seals near breathing holes, where the animals must surface to breathe.12
- Digging: Bears use their strong, sharp claws to dig through snow and ice to reach young seals hidden in birth lairs.1
- Navigating Fractures: Polar bears prefer areas where wind and sea currents cause the ice to fracture. These cracks and leads provide seals with essential access to both air and water, creating predictable hunting grounds for the bears.1
Because polar bears are essentially aquatic animals, they are excellent swimmers, but the sea ice remains their preferred habitat for foraging. Unfortunately, global warming is causing sea ice to melt and fragment, which widens gaps in the ice and makes it increasingly difficult for polar bears to capture their prey.132