Black bear in Churchill with what’s left of a lesser snow goose in his mouth. Rhonda Reid photo.
This close – up photo of a black bear in Churchill with the wing of a lesser snow goose in his mouth has many people excited to see the rarely seen animal. This bear species does reach into the far north but are not often seen at this close range.
Bears of all varieties are becoming more apt at gathering food in the wild. Voracious polar bears in Churchill have been observed on seal – kills all year round and scavenging eggs and tundra berries. Occasionally a beluga whale carcass will feed a dozen bears for a few days. This recent trend in feeding is quite possibly an adaptive survival technique due to the warming climate and reduced sea ice season. Since polar bears have a shorter time on ice hunting seals they need to find alternative food sources in order to maintain a year – round body healthy body weight.
Polar bears like to play and are quite gregarious at times. This video footage from the BBC shows two fun – loving polar bears having quite a time in the snow. The Arctic has millions of square kilometers of open space for polar bears to roam and play. Of course polar bears spend winters hunting seals which can be stressful so they also have to release their tension with some fun!
This incredible photo by Roie Galitz captures a rare scene ever to be observed by humans. Persistent Polar bears spend endless hours stalking and hunting seals out on the Hudson Bay pack ice.This is one of those very special moments for a wildlife photographer and could very well be the photo of the year. Enjoy!
A mother polar bear captures a seal for sustenance and gives her a cub a valuable teaching moment Roie Galitz photo.
Awesome video footage of a voracious polar bear attempting to snag a beluga whale in a open lead in the ice of the Arctic. Exciting footage and evidence that polar bears will go after any creature to provide the sustenance for their high metabolism. Adaptation will be the key for these hearty animals as the Arctic ice dwindles even more due to global warming. Polar bears depend on the ice platform to hunt seals through the winter and with less ice time they must turn to protein – rich alternatives.
Churchill, Manitoba is the place to see polar bears. October and November are the prime – time months to see polar bears as they congregate along the shores of the Hudson Bay to await the ice forming. Once the bay freezes bears wander to find their main food source to restore their vital fat reserves. Seals, forming dens on the ice surface, are breakfast, lunch and dinner for these voracious mammals. This short video lets you experience the initial thrill of tracking and finding polar bears with Natural Habitat Adventures guide Brad Josephs in Churchill. Enjoy!
