Churchill, Canada: A Community Adapting to Polar Bear Encounters Amidst a Warming Climate

“Can I give you some polar bear advice?” inquires Tee, a self-assured 13-year-old encountered during a high school visit in Churchill, Canada. Demonstrating a distance of approximately 30cm with her hands, she advises, “If there’s a bear this close to you,” “make a fist – and punch it in the nose.” She adds, “Polar bears have very sensitive noses – it’ll just run away.” Tee has not yet needed to apply this counsel. However, residing in this location, alongside the world’s largest terrestrial predator, necessitates that bear safety is an integral aspect of daily existence. Placards in shops and cafes serve as a reminder for individuals venturing outdoors to be “bear aware.” One particularly noted sign states: “If a polar bear attacks you must fight back.” Fleeing from an attacking polar bear is, somewhat unexpectedly, perilous. The natural inclination of a bear is to pursue its quarry, and polar bears are capable of speeds up to 25mph (40kmph). Essential guidance includes: Remain watchful and conscious of your environment. Avoid solitary nighttime walks. Churchill holds the distinction of being recognized as the global capital for polar bears. Annually, the Hudson Bay, situated at the town’s western periphery, undergoes thawing, compelling the bears to come ashore. With the onset of freezing conditions in Autumn, hundreds of these bears congregate in the area, awaiting the ice. Alysa McCall of Polar Bears International (PBI) clarifies, “We have freshwater rivers flowing into the area and cold water coming in from the Arctic,” adding, “So freeze-up happens here first.” For polar bears, sea ice represents a crucial feeding ground, providing access to their primary food source, seals. She notes, “They’re probably excited for a big meal of seal blubber – they haven’t been eating much all summer on land.” “There are 20 known sub-populations of polar bears across the Arctic. This is one of the most southerly and best studied.” Alysa describes them as, “They’re our fat, white, hairy canaries in the coal mine,” and states, “We had about 1,200 polar bears here in the 1980s and we’ve lost almost half of them.” This reduction in population is linked to the extended duration the bay remains without ice, a period that is lengthening due to global warming. The absence of sea ice eliminates the frozen platform necessary for seal hunting. Alysa elaborates, “Bears here are now on land about a month longer than their grandparents were,” which “puts pressure on mothers. [With less food] it’s harder to stay pregnant and to sustain those babies.” Despite their uncertain long-term survival, these bears attract both conservation scientists and thousands of tourists to Churchill annually. We accompany a PBI group on an expedition to locate bears on the sub-Arctic tundra, located only a few miles from the town. The team utilizes a tundra buggy, an off-road vehicle resembling a bus equipped with oversized tires. Following several observations from afar, we experience a startling close encounter. A juvenile bear approaches and examines our slow-moving two-buggy procession. It moves alongside, sniffs one of the vehicles, then leaps up, placing two large paws on the side of the buggy. The bear then nonchalantly drops back onto all fours, subsequently looking up and briefly meeting my gaze. Observing the face of an animal that is both endearing and potentially lethal creates profound bewilderment. Geoff York of PBI, who possesses over three decades of experience working in the Arctic, remarked, “You could see him sniffing and even licking the vehicle – using all his senses to investigate.” During ‘bear season’ in this location, Geoff and his associates have the opportunity to evaluate novel technologies for bear detection and human protection. The PBI team is presently refining a radar-based apparatus named ‘bear-dar’. This experimental setup, comprising a tall antenna with detectors providing 360-degree scanning, is mounted on the roof of a lodge situated in the tundra, close to Churchill. Geoff clarifies, “It has artificial intelligence, so here we can basically teach it what a polar bear is,” adding, “This works 24/7, it can see at night and in poor visibility.” While infrequent, polar bear attacks pose a hazard to individuals residing and working in secluded Arctic settings. Earlier this year, a Canadian laborer lost his life due to two polar bears near a distant defense outpost in Canada’s northern Nunavut territory. The coexistence with these ice-reliant predators, amidst the Arctic climate’s unprecedented rate of change, presents a contradictory dilemma for Churchill: The local polar bear population is experiencing a long-term decrease. However, in the immediate future, the bears are spending an extended portion of the year on land, thereby heightening the likelihood of interactions between bears and humans. The responsibility for safeguarding the community falls to the polar bear alert team, which consists of trained rangers who conduct daily patrols in Churchill. We accompany ranger Ian Van Nest, who is searching for a persistent bear that he and his colleagues had attempted to deter earlier that day. He notes, “It turned around and came back [towards] Churchill. He doesn’t seem interested in going away.” For bears determined to remain near the town, the team employs a live trap: a cylindrical enclosure, lured with seal meat, featuring a door activated by the bear upon entry. Ian clarifies, “Then we put them in the holding facility.” Bears are detained for 30 days, a duration established to condition the bear against seeking food in town, without jeopardizing the animal’s well-being. Subsequently, they are relocated – either transported on a trailer or, at times, airlifted by helicopter – and set free further down the bay, distant from human habitation. Cyril Fredlund, an employee at Churchill’s recently established scientific observatory, recalls the last instance a person was fatally attacked by a polar bear in Churchill, which occurred in 1983. He recounts, “It was right in town.” He adds, “The man was homeless and was in an abandoned building at night. There was a young bear in there too – it took him down with its paw, like he was a seal.” Cyril remembers that people arrived to assist, but they were unable to separate the bear from the man. He states, “It was like it was guarding its meal.” The polar bear alert program was established approximately at that time. Since its inception, no fatalities due to polar bear attacks have occurred in this location. Cyril currently serves as a technician at the recently inaugurated Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO). A component of its mission involves precisely comprehending how this environment will react to climate change. Beneath its retractable covering are two enormous pools containing water directly sourced from the Hudson Bay. Prof Feiyue Wang states, “We can do all kinds of controlled experimental studies looking into changes in the Arctic.” A consequence of a less frozen Hudson Bay is an extended operational period for the port, which is presently non-functional for nine months annually. A prolonged season where the bay thaws and offers open water could facilitate increased maritime traffic to and from Churchill. Investigations at the observatory aim to enhance the precision of sea ice predictions. Research will additionally assess the hazards linked to port expansion. An initial study involves an experimental oil spill. Researchers intend to introduce oil into one of the pools, evaluate remediation methods, and quantify the rate of oil degradation in cold water. For Mike Spence, Churchill’s mayor, comprehending future planning, especially concerning the transportation of goods via Churchill, is crucial for the town’s prospects in a warming global climate. He indicates the port, which has concluded operations for the winter, and remarks, “We’re already looking into extending the season.” He projects, “In ten years’ time, this will be bustling.” Climate change presents an obstacle for the world’s polar bear capital, yet the mayor maintains an optimistic outlook. He asserts, “We have a great town,” and “a wonderful community. And the summer season – [when people come to see the Beluga whales in the bay] – is growing.” He further states, “We’re all being challenged by climate change.” He questions, “Does that mean you stop existing? No – you adapt. You work out how to take advantage of it.” Although Mike Spence declares “the future is bright” for Churchill, the outlook for polar bears may not be as promising. Tee and her companions observe the bay from a window located at the rear of the school structure. Outside, vehicles belonging to the polar bear alert team are assembling, attempting to guide a bear away from the urban area. Tee’s classmate Charlie contemplates, “If climate change continues,” “the polar bears might just stop coming here.” The instructor approaches to confirm that the children have transportation arranged and are not returning home unsupervised. This is a standard component of daily life in the world’s polar bear capital. Subscribe to our Future Earth newsletter for unique perspectives on the most recent climate and environment news from the BBC’s Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, delivered weekly to your email. For those outside the UK, register for our international newsletter here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.