What is the main prey of adult polar bears?

Ringed seals are the main prey of adult polar bears.

Ringed seals are widespread Arctic ice seals and provide a crucial source of fat and protein. Polar bears often wait beside a seal's breathing hole or near a seal's lair beneath the snow. The bear's white coat and patience help it hunt effectively on sea ice.

Ringed seal pups are especially important because they are smaller and easier to catch, although adult seals can also be taken. Polar bears eat other animals, including bearded seals, walruses, whales, birds, and reindeer, but ringed seals are central to their normal diet.

The relationship is tightly linked to sea ice. Ringed seals use snow-covered ice for birthing and resting, while polar bears use the same platform for hunting. Reduced sea ice can therefore affect both predator and prey. Ringed seals are the smallest true seals in the Arctic and are named for the pale rings on their dark coats.