The polar bear tourism industry in Kaktovik, a tiny Alaska Native village, is being revived following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government's decision to halt boat tours to see the bears due to concerns that the village was being overrun by outsiders. The tourism boom, which once saw 1,000 or more tourists a year, was largely due to climate change and the threat of extinction. However, local leaders are now hoping to revive the industry, arguing that it could be worth millions to the local economy and provide another source of income if the village sets guidelines to protect its way of life and the bears themselves. The rapid warming of the Arctic is melting the sea ice used to hunt seals, and scientists predict that most polar bears could be wiped out by the century. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to address these concerns and reignite the industry by 2027.