A sleepy polar bear waking up from an afternoon nap Alex De Vries-Magnifico photo.
It’s hard to believe that polar bear season in Churchill is only two months away! This magnificent sleepy polar bear image is another gem from Churchill photographer and guide Alex De Vries – Magnifico. This polar bear season will be another filled with imagination and countless surprises in and around the coastal village of Churchill on the Hudson Bay. So, it’s time to almost wake up and venture north to see these beautiful animals in a breathtaking Arctic landscape!
Barren – ground grizzly under sedation at the Churchill Polar Bear Holding Facility. Manitoba Conservation photo.
Barren – ground grizzly in the Churchill Polar Bear Holding Facility. Manitoba Conservation photo.
Helicopter lifts the Barren – ground grizzly to its northern release location. Manitoba Conservation photo.
In Churchill, when a bear breaks into a cabin or outbuilding, Polar Bear Alert is called. On July 18, 2018 the call was made and Conservation officers investigated. No bear was located that day however roughly a week later a bear was captured in a culvert trap set by the officers in the area.
July 26th Manitoba Conservation officers approached a trap and realized quickly they had a bear inside. Once they examined the trap more closely they were quite surprised. Instead of the usual polar bear captive, they had trapped a Barren – ground grizzly bear! After spending part of the day in the polar bear holding facility, the animal was airlifted and released near the Manitoba – Nunavut border to the north.
The male grizzly weighed 388 lbs and was equipped with a GPS ear tag and lip tattooed to track its movements. The GPS will transmit over the next four months and researchers will be able to study its migration pattern. Barren – ground grizzlies are Protected under the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act.
We’re now in the season in Churchill when polar bear moms and their cub(s) emerge from their dens in Wapusk National Park and venture over the tundra close to town on their way to the Hudson Bay ice pack. Once there, sows will teach their young polar bear cubs how to hunt seals and also gain some sustenance for themselves after a long winter under the earth and snow in their dens. This video was taken by Quinton Hart in Churchill just a day ago. Everyone should be on the lookout for these bear families along the coast!
