MOSCOW: Cases of polar bears killing and eating each other are on the rise in the Arctic, as melting ice and human activity erode their habitat, a Russian scientist said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

“Cases of cannibalism among polar bears are a long-established fact, but we’re worried that such cases used to be found rarely while now they are recorded quite often,” said polar bear expert Ilya Mordvintsev, quoted by Interfax news agency.