We speak with Alysa McCall, Polar Bears International staff scientist and director of conservation outreach to figure out what is really going on with climate change and the “white hairy canaries” of the Arctic.

You ever think about polar bear milk? Yeah, us neither… but a recent email from the folks over at Polar Bears International got us thinking about their lactation situation. With Polar Bear Week being celebrated every year on the first week of November, now seemed as good a time as any to get into it.

“The Arctic is now warming nearly four times as fast as the rest of the planet, causing its sea ice to melt,” said Kieran McIver, Beluga Boat Captain and Manager of Churchill Field Operations for Polar Bears International (PBI), to IFLScience. “Sea ice is crucial for polar bears as well as other species like beluga whales, seals and humans.”

We spoke to Alysa McCall, Director of Conservation Outreach and staff scientist at Polar Bears International about what is really going on with these "white hairy canaries" of the Arctic. Recorded as part of The Big Questions, IFLScience’s podcast, we explore how the climate crisis is affecting polar bear populations, how monitoring polar bears from a monster truck actually works, and what can be done to keep these enigmatic animals safe.