Norwegian scientists have witnessed polar bears eating dolphins in the Arctic for the first time ever. Jon Aars at the Norwegian Polar Institute captured photographs of the dolphins being devoured by a bear and published his findings in the latest edition of Polar Research this month.
‘It is likely that new species are appearing in the diet of polar bears due to climate change because new species are finding their way north,’ said Aars.
The first incident he documented was in April 2014 when his team came across a polar feeding on the carcasses of two white-beaked dolphins.
Although dolphins are regularly seen in the Norwegian Arctic in the summer months when the ice has melted, they have never been observed during winter or spring when the sea is usually still covered in sheets of ice.
Polar bears are opportunistic predators that are also known to feed on small whales if the opportunity arises.
