| Polar
Bears of Churchill - Welcome to Bear Country
There are approximately 1000 polar bears* in the Western Hudson
Bay population. It is one of the few polar bear populations that
become landlocked for part of the year. As the ice breaks up in
late July, these bears come ashore to summer inland or along the
coast. They are generally spread out along the shore of Hudson
Bay from Cape Tatnam near the Ontario border to the community
of Churchill, Manitoba.
By early October, many bears begin to congregate along Cape Churchill. The Cape is a north-facing shelf jutting fifty kilometers (thirty miles) out into Hudson Bay. Prevailing north-western winds and the counter-clockwise current of Hudson Bay push the growing ice onto this landmass. This, combined with the massive freshwater outflow from rivers to the north, result in the ice forming earlier along the northwest coast of Hudson Bay.
This attracts many polar bears anticipating the return of their hunting grounds. Most years, enough ice has formed along the coast by mid-November and Churchill’s bears have once again returned to their hunting grounds. It is the six week
window leading up to this that has made Churchill, Manitoba aninternational tourist destination. For over twenty five years, people have been venturing out on tundra vehicles to view this gathering of polar bears. Many people have had the unique opportunity to view polar bears up close and in the wild – usually from the safety
of a giant tin can on wheels!
Of course, by December, Churchill is quiet once again; bears and tourists have returned to their stomping grounds and frozen tumbleweeds virtually roll down the street. While tourists are spread out over the globe, the bears roam the western half of Hudson Bay. Through the heart of winter, they wait at seal breathing holes, wait out blizzards and basically wait for spring.
It is not until spring that the real action starts. Warmer temperatures mean that consistent leads or openings in the ice are found in western Hudson Bay. This brings increased access to seals and their birthing dens. For these three or four months, polar bears feast on a wealth of newborn and inexperienced ringed seals.
Of course, much like tourist season, spring is over all too soon and the bears are back on land to begin waiting once again.
Western Hudson Bay polar bear Numbers
*The last population study of the western Hudson Bay bears, published in 2004, indicated a likely population of 935 bears, down from an estimate of 1100 in 1999 and a high of 1200 in 1987. Adequate population statistics have only been available for the western Hudson Bay polar bears since 1981, at which point the population was estimated at less than 600 bears. However, the study methods had a much higher rate of error than later methods (that is, from the 1987 to present day). Another populatin study should be published in the near future, however, given that ice seasons have been lasting relatively longer since 2004, the study will likely show that the polar bear population has stabilized or is showing signs of growth. It is possible that the natural carrying capacity of the Churchill area is between 1000-1200 bears.
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