Canadian and US scientists are warning that polar bear populations are being threatened by garbage landfills. Hungry bears are turning to the garbage dumps as the ice melts. Polar bears hunt seals on sea ice. With the Arctic warming, the sea ice is melting earlier in summer and freezing later in autumn. The bears spend more time away from their prey, and turn to dumps in northern areas such as Russia’s Belushya Guba, and to whale bone piles left over from hunts near Kaktovik, Alaska.

Consuming garbage can make the bears sick, especially when they eat plastic and other non-edible materials, and congregating in areas close to human populations puts them at risk of being shot by wildlife managers.

Scientists say the situation is only going to get worse, as human populations are increasing in areas where polar bears live.