Polar Bear Eating Habits
Polar bears sit at the top of the food chain in the biologically rich arctic, but global warming is causing polar bears to have fewer hunting opportunities and increased scarcity in food. Polar bears rely primarily on the fat of Ringed Seals and Bearded Seals and the remaining parts provide food for many other arctic wildlife species, giving polar bears a vital role in their ecosystem. They are also known to eat Walrus, Beluga Whale and Bow head Whale carcasses, bird eggs and rarely vegetation. All these species are ice dependent like the polar bears, which means that all of the species will be affected by the shrinking polar ice caps. "Polar bears can go long periods without food but there are limits" (Derocher). With the loss of sea ice polar bears find it more difficult to hunt. Individual polar bears may travel thousands of miles per year to find food, because of the extreme amounts of ice loss. Polar bears spend 50% of their time hunting, but only 2% of those hunt end up successfully. Because of all the ice loss resulting in the lack of prey for polar bears causing them to go hungry, some have resorted to cannibalistic behaviors.