As The Arctic Shrinks, Norway’s Polar Bear Population Booms — Grows 30% In 11 Years

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Scientists have warned for years that the shrinking Arctic sea ice will be a disaster for polar bears, but a recent population survey shows bears are thriving despite there being less polar ice.

Norwegian researchers released their latest survey of Barents Sea polar bears and they’ve got very good news for bear enthusiasts — their population grew 30 percent in eleven years. Barents Sea bear number have grown from 685 in 2004 to 975 this year despite Arctic ice coverage “diminishing in extent as well as in thickness,” according to researchers.