Halloween in Churchill is like no other place in the world when Halloween night comes. Every street is patrolled by the town and Manitoba Conservation to insure all kids and families are safe from polar bears.Children are not allowed to dress in white either….no ghosts on this Halloween night. Enjoy these photos from Churchillian Jody Grosbrink and Happy Halloween.
Polar bears on the tundra in Churchill. Jodi Grosbrink photo
As polar bear season begins, this video shows various ways Manitoba Conservation officers handle polar bears coming within or near the perimeters of town. There are no breaks in the busy schedule in October and November during polar bear season. protecting the residents and visitors in Churchill is the primary goal of officers on duty round the clock. This is the polar bear’s environment and all resources are utilized to keep people and bears safe from deadly interactions on the land.
Here are the recent bear statistics for Churchill over the last week/month published by Manitoba Conservation. It’s pretty clear that polar bear numbers in summer months have increased over the last decade as sea ice melts faster in the spring. When I guided Churchill Arctic summer trips 10 years ago, we rarely saw polar bears in the region before August. Polar bears are now arriving in July. Good for tourism but challenging for residents and conservation officers.
Summer polar bear on the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bear roaming the tundra. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Some inquisitive Churchill polar bears become frequent flyers on Hudson Bay Helicopters. There’s only one flight route, about 40 kilometers northwest, and chances are the bear will not remember a thing once they come back to consciousness on the tundra.
When bears show a pattern for testing the Churchill town limits and are recurring offenders, they are first incarcerated in the Polar Bear Compound just adjacent to the airport. Subsequent captures either by culvert trap or darting land them there again and they then are flown up along the northwestern coast and released. The hope is they will not return to Churchill during the season though some do. Most times they will be flown out again depending on the capacity of the “jail”, at the time.
This relatively new strategy of dealing with “problem” bears by Manitoba Conservation reflects the importance of eco-tourism in the region. In the old days polar bears would be put down if they were frequent visitors within town limits. These days extreme leniency is given unless the bears pose a critical threat to residents.
These photos show some of the process of airlifting polar bears from Churchill up north.
Conservation officers prepare for a bear lift. Brad Josephs photo.
Hudson Bay helicopter lifting off with a cargo of polar bears. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
A polar bear is airlifted up north from Churchill, Manitoba. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
Polar bear sow and cubs being transported north for relocation. Brad Josephs photo.
A polar bear trap being removed with cargo from Churchill. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
A polar bear is wheeled out from Polar Bear Compound and prepared for flight up north. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
Polar bear ready for lift – off in Churchill. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
October and November are the prime months to witness a polar bear airlift in Churchill!
This humorous look at some highlights of Churchill, the polar bear capitol of the world, from Canadian personality Rick Mercer gives a different perspective on the serious work done by Manitoba Conservation officers in controlling the polar bear population around the town. We actually met Rick one night at the Seaport Hotel and had some good laughs. Enjoy the show!
