The Polar Bears of Churchill

Posted at 3:21 pm October 30, 2009 by Ron Swaisgood

One of my first wild polar bears here at Churchill. Thin at this time of year, waiting for the ice to re-freeze so they can hunt, they are still large and powerful predators.

I saw a bear. Okay, I saw six. And it only took a couple of hours. I’ve been working with bears for many years now, and this is not what I’m used to. I’ve worked most extensively with giant pandas, and it took me years to see a panda in the wild. Recently, I started working with Andean (or spectacled) bears and, with a lot of sweat and hard work (and the help of an experienced collaborator), managed to see ONE in Peru (see post The Bear Goes Over the Mountain). But here, polar bears are everywhere! For now.

I’m in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, known as the polar bear capital of the world. I’m here as a guest of my friends and collaborators (and supporters!) at Polar Bears International. This is a terrific organization, and they have given me a terrific opportunity. More on that later. The bears are beautiful! I can’t wait to share more about the bears in my next posts.

Nothing to do, a polar bear might as well sleep. Occasionally, they may eat some berries or even some kelp, but the best strategy is just to conserve energy until the ice returns.

The polar bears will be leaving soon. If we don’t get our act together, they may be gone from the polar bear capital forever. The bears are here, congregating, waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze. Once it does, the bears will be on the ice, where they belong, where they hunt and breed. Polar bear habitat is sea-ice, pure and simple. If they don’t have sea-ice, they will likely go extinct. And the ice is melting, fast. Why? I think we all know by now. Because we are burning fossil fuels like it’s going out of style and, in so doing, we are emitting tons, billions of tons, of carbon into the atmosphere. Carbon and other greenhouse gases are warming up the planet.

I won’t explain the science, I think most of us know this by now. The sea-ice is shrinking, shrinking faster than even the most pessimistic models of five years ago. In 2007, we all were shocked when we lost a million square miles of sea-ice: that’s Alaska, Texas, and Washington combined. This year is fortunate—the Arctic is getting a little break from the warmer temperatures. But the trend is unmistakable: the Arctic is getting warmer, and it is losing its ice.

View from the Tundra Buggy. At Churchill at this time of year, this may be the highest density of polar bears anywhere. This is where they come to wait for the ice… and check out the tourists and researchers!

Polar bears need the ice. It’s the only way they can get to their prey. Polar bears wait at breathing holes at the edge of the ice and catch unsuspecting seals. So, the polar bears of Churchill are waiting, waiting for the ice to refreeze. Summer here is no picnic. Each day that passes a polar bear loses about two pounds (almost 1 kilogram). That would be a great diet plan for many of us, but for polar bears that means they have fewer resources to survive and reproduce. Today’s polar bears are skinnier. They have fewer cubs. Many of the cubs don’t survive. The old and the young are dying at higher rates, particularly in years with less ice. Especially here in Churchill, at the southern end of their range. Here, the ice is breaking up earlier. In the last 15 years, we’ve seen the breakup occur 3 weeks earlier. For a polar bear, that’s three more weeks without access to food. And it’s reforming later, which means a longer period of starvation at the end of summer, too.

It seems clear to me: we must do something about climate change. Not just for the polar bears. Giant pandas, too, may lose habitat to climate change. I recently visited another spectacular site for Andean bears, in the dry forest. If climate change brings even drier climates, the water holes will dry up and the bears will be gone. And, in Southern California, kangaroo rats (see post Roo Rats Released), the desert bighorn, and the desert tortoises (see post Tortoises on TV) of the Mojave desert are all predicted to suffer from the hotter, drier climate forecast for our region. All these species and their ecosystems, and many more, are being altered by climate change, and the effects will not be good.

That’s why I’m here, working with Polar Bears International. We are here to see these bears and bring this message into your homes and schools around the world. Climate change is real, we are the primary cause, and we can and must do something about it. If we don’t, we will live in a very different world, and it may be a world without polar bears. Is that what we want?

Ron Swaisgood is director of Applied Animal Ecology for the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.

Watch the Zoo’s polar bears daily on Polar Cam.

Posted in Bear Awareness, Conservation, Default, Field Studies, General, Polar Bears | Link to this post

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20 Responses to “The Polar Bears of Churchill”

1. Jessy says:
   October 30th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

   I agree with you, the earth is getting warmer. I live in equator area, and I personally experience and suffer from rising temperature. The city where I live haven’t got any drop of rain until now. Last year our rainy season lasted only 3 months (December-February), instead of normal 6 months (October-March).

   If there will be no sea-ice any longer … it will be so unfortunate for them! It is so much fun to see polar bears in zoo or polar bear cam; however, for them to be in their original wild life and environment is certainly the best. It will be surely really really bad if we can only see polar bears in the zoo but none in the wild.
   I don’t want that to happen! Let’s work hand in hand together to reduce carbon footprint and create better environment for them and other polar creatures – for us, too.

2. Diane in Victoria says:
   October 30th, 2009 at 7:21 pm

   Isn’t it the most breath-taking experience? Tell the bears I’ll be there too … in only five days! I can’t wait!!!

3. Susan (UK) says:
   October 31st, 2009 at 2:00 am

   #2 Diane, have a great time and bring back a polar bear. Ooops, sorry I meant lots of photos!

   Ron, it is a horrible thing to think about, the problems these bears have. But as well as those countries that are trying hard to cut emissions, we need countries like China and India and others who are just starting out on their ‘industrial revolution’ to reduce their emissions too. They need our help in doing that but I’m not sure it will happen. There are so many animals waiting to be saved.

4. cindy in kc says:
   October 31st, 2009 at 7:51 am

   I see 2 keepers- male and female cleaning and “tidying’ up the bears place! too funny!

5. Susan (UK) says:
   October 31st, 2009 at 12:38 pm

   There is one very happy bear chilling out on the rocks. It is also one very very filthy happy bear. Is this Chinook again? She’s rolling over, leg in the air:

   Oh to be a polar bear
   It really looks so lovely there.
   Maybe later they’ll get a wash,
   A blowdry, perfume and then look posh!

   Ok, not brilliant but it was off the cuff!!

6. Margaret says:
   October 31st, 2009 at 6:51 pm

   Wow, Ron, you sure get around a lot lately. Peru and Manitoba all in a month. Research opportunities in the warmer times of year allow you to see first hand the conditions that different bear species are living in. That translates into more opportunities to educate your scientific colleagues and zoo friends about the urgency involved in saving the natural habitat of animals and humans on this planet.

   Thanks for the updates, and for the warning. We can, and we must, do our part to improve the global climate for all living things.

7. Dianne in Texas says:
   November 1st, 2009 at 11:14 am

   Ron, most of us reading these blogs understand what you are saying, but we are in the minority. Most humans deny the reality of a crisis, until it smacks them, personally, in the face. Unfortunately, the majority of humans don’t want to make the sacrifices to stop global warming, until it affects their life directly. Isn’t that a sad, selfish state for the human race. It’s not just the polar bears, or giant pandas, it is all species of animals everywhere, that are being affected; but it is at a critical stage right now for the polar bear and giant panda. I wish there was a magic solution for this. It is so sad that these magnificent creatures are the ones suffering, and on the verge of extinction.

   Thank you, Ron, for your part in trying to drive home the facts. Wish we could figure out how to smack it in the face of those non-believers (esp. in Washington D. C.).

8. Margaret says:
   November 1st, 2009 at 11:12 am

   What a great way to dry off. Rub your wet body on the sun-warmed rocks! Someone is rolling back and forth on the hot dry rocks to dry off their wet fur. You can tell they have been in the plunge by the wet marks on the rocks under and beyond them. Looks like they had a blast!

9. LH says:
   November 1st, 2009 at 11:40 am

   Hello Polar Bear Keepers,

   The cam shot at 11:36 today looks like a new angle – and I like it. It faces the pool’s edge, as if the camera is just over the viewing window, and looks slightly downward, catching the bear eating his carrots next to the squarish, slightly split stepping stone into the water. Sun is shining and all looks well in zoobearland.

   Thanks for the new angle!

10. Lynn in Alberta says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    I am currently watching Tats & Kalluuk (sp?) playing ‘keep away” in the waterfall and then in the pool with the red ball …. hysterical !! It would be really nice if we had a general chat area to note the special things that we see on the various cams. Just a thought for the future of your cams and blogs and ability to ‘engage’ the general public.

    You guys do a SUPERB job. Thank you.

11. cindy in kc says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    I see a ‘Very Dirty Bear’ right now sleeping peacefully on the rocks…

12. Nancy from Elburn says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am

    #2 -Enjoy your trip! I went 3 yrs ago and took 900+ photos. I’m hoping to go back next year.
    It was the best thing I have ever done.

13. Jeslyn in San Diego says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 am

    I so loved the fact that on Sunday someone was working the camera and following the bears all over the place.
    One bear was under the water fall , in a deep pool of water, romping and playing with a red ball…….what fun it was to watch! Most activity I have seen from them.
    Usually the camera is on an empty pool or on a sleeping bear. The fact they seem to be collectors and have their “stash” piled around them in very sweet.
    I would like to suggest that the zoo use volunteers for all the cams so we could see what is happening more often. They really need help with the ape cam…….never follows up close the apes……it just shows the ropes where not much happens.

14. Diane in Victoria says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    This is my fifth trip in five years. It’s an addiction … but a great one.

15. Grace says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 3:45 pm

    I am on Polar Cam, and there are two bears currently in view. It appears that a metal gate separates them and the visitors. Is this the final product of renovation of the Polar Bear Plunge?

    BTW, the bears seem to enjoy the close proximity to the visitors. It looks like they can actually smell and hear the visitors through the wires!

    Moderator’s note: Renovations are not complete. The grand re-opening will be in the spring.

16. Grace says:
    November 2nd, 2009 at 3:49 pm

    It is now 3:49pm PST on Monday, 11-02-09. Is Keeper JoAnn feeding the bears through the wire mesh? Someone seems to have their utmost attention right now!

    Moderator’s note: Yes, that’s the new movable experience wall and we’re doing a photo shoot with bear and keeper and guests!

17. cindy in kc says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 6:31 am

    Here in kc our polar bear plunge is being buuilt right now and will open in spring of 2010. News said we will get one bear to start with. Cant wait to go! It’s been a long time since we had any bears in KC!

18. Cindy "avid bear stalker" says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 am

    So for all the bear followers in case you didn’t know all ready go check out the November wish list the sdz is asking for a polar cub cam just in case. I’m most definitely excited. My family is making me work for my donation every mile I walk or run gives me a certain dollar amount. I have until Friday so I’m working my butt off. Diane thank you for the info on the excursions I wish you an absolute wonderful time. Maybe in two years I’ll be there as well.

    Moderator’s note: Here’s the Wish List, for those interested in helping. Keep on exercising, Cindy!

19. njr_in_sd says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    I saw the same thing as Grace yesterday – very interesting. The bears were certainly checking everyone out – looks like a great addition to Polar Bear plunge.
    Very exciting that we might get a polar cub cam (even better if there are cubs to watch on iti ) – have to go check on the Wish List.

20. Diana S. says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    If we all do just a little bit maybe it will add up. We are small compared to the might of Washington D.C. (and the rest of the world) but maybe if we all just do a little…..

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