About the Bear Necessities of Life…

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) depend on sea-ice as a platform for hunting seals and acquire most of their energy resources during a short period in late spring to early summer. The Tundra near the town of Churchill, Manitoba is the terrestrial “summer-home” of the West Hudson polar bears, as they await the formation of sea-ice over Hudson Bay. While on land, polar bears mostly fast or eat vegetation with limited energetic benefit compared to their blubber-rich, energy-dense seal diet. Climate warming is extending the ice-free periods in western Hudson Bay, forcing polar bears to remain on land for longer time periods.
This photograph was taken during my time volunteering at the Churchill Northern Studies Center.