Stranded polar bears feed on the the remains a whale carcass, left by the Inupiat whale hunters, which is surrounded by a barbed wire fence.
As the bears feed they snag against the fence leaving hair samples which are then taken for DNA analysis. Scientists use the DNA to determine which bears show up, and for how long. This information can help wildlife managers minimize human-bear conflicts, and understand how the animals are faring as climate change reduces the amount of time they can spend on the sea ice hunting their preferred prey, seals, and if they are changing their behavior to adapt to the declining sea ice.