Manitoba Conservation officer sedates a polar bear with a dart. Rhonda Reid photo.
Polar bear looking for cover among the rocky coastal area in Churchill. Rhonda Reid photo.
On the trail of a rogue polar bear in Churchill. Rhonda Reid photo.
Darted polar bear still putting up a fight. Rhonda Reid photo.
A polar bear nearing the town limits was darted and sedated from a helicopter by Manitoba Conservation officers today. The bear would not be taken easily, however. The chase took over an hour and two sedation darts were needed to bring this polar bear into custody. This bear charged a Conservation vehicle and then was finally brought under control and transported to the Polar Bear Holding Facility. The bear has since been released.
Conservation officers in Churchill are always on alert when keeping the town safe from polar bears approaching the isolated village on the Hudson Bay coast. This video highlights the process once the polar bear is captured. Polar bear monitoring is a complicated and measured skill taken very seriously in the high north. Communities rely on conservation officers in order to live a safe and somewhat stress free daily life.