第2970期:Polar bears getting "fatter and healthier" amid ice loss

There's long been concern about the effect that melting ice was having on their ability to hunt seals, their staple diet. But in the Norwegian Archipelago of Svalbard, something surprising has happened. The bears there have gained weight, and for a polar bear, fatter means healthier. Rising temperatures, though, mean that there are now 100 more ice free days per year in Svalbard than when this study began, so the bears are now hunting on the land.

长期以来，人们一直担心海冰融化会影响北极熊捕食海豹的能力，而海豹正是他们的主食。但在挪威的斯瓦尔巴特群岛，一个令人意想不到的情况发生了。那里的北极熊体重增加了，而对于北极熊来说，更胖就意味着更加健康。不过，不断上升的全球气温也意味着斯瓦尔巴特群岛现在每年平均无冰天数比这项研究开始时增加了 100 天，因此那里的北极熊现在开始在陆地上进行捕食。

This unexpected, good news, scientists say, is temporary. As sea ice recedes more, bears may have to travel further between their hunting grounds, using up valuable fat reserves for energy.

科学家们表示，这个出乎意料的好消息只是暂时的。随着海冰进一步消退，北极熊可能需要往返于更远的猎场之间，迫使它们大量消耗本就宝贵的脂肪储备以获取能量。