Metabolism study signals more trouble ahead for polar bears

By Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study of polar bear metabolism conducted near Alaska's Prudhoe Bay has provided more reason to worry about the future of these massive predators that prowl the Arctic.Scientists said on Thursday they examined activity levels, foraging behavior and blood biochemistry of a group of polar bears during their prime hunting season on the sea ice of the Beaufort Sea, determining that the metabolism of the species is about 60 percent greater than previously underst