Polar Bear Walking

Watching a Polar Bear walking, what a wonderful 'time waster'. Both of us as curious as the other.

1. Like humans, polar bears walk on the soles of their feet with their heels touching the ground first. Like other bears, they can also stand on their hind feet and walk upright for short distances.

2. Polar bears generally walk with a steady, lumbering gait. The front paws swing outward with each step, landing slightly pigeon-toed. The head swings gently from side to side. The walk has a four-beat pattern, first the right front foot touches the ground, then the left hind foot, then the left front foot, and lastly, the right hind foot.

3. The bulky build and swinging gait cause polar bears to use more than twice as much energy to move at a given speed than most other mammals (Stirling, 1988).

4. The average walking speed of a polar bear is 5.5 kph (3.4 mph) (Stirling, 1988).

5. When being chased or charging prey, polar bears can run as fast as 40 kph (25 mph) for short distances (Domico, 1988)

Polar Bears - Male v Female

Caribou

The Caribou like the beaver and moose, are typically Canadian. So much so, they are also found on the Canadian quarter. I spotted this one in Churchill, possibly due to my experience of living on a farm and the ability to spot goats from hundreds of metres. It was the first wildlife our group saw during our tour. The Caribou are 1.2 to 1.5 metres tall, and weigh over 228 kilograms. They mainly eat lichen and sedges. The indigenous people of Canada hunt the Caribou for their pelt, which is light weight, but extremely warm and soft.

Snowy Owl

Yes, I did see nine Polar Bears. But what a thrill to see a Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca). The Snowy Owl is one of the largest of the owl family. Due to the environment of the Artic - the extreme darkness and lightness, this magnificent bird has excellent eyesight. Their eyesight is essential in their need to hunt their prey, especially considering that the Snowy Owl is both a diurnal and nocturnal hunter. No photo can really capture the essence of again seeing such a spectacular species in its' natural environment - however, this photo is showing the owl flying over the rocky shore of the Hudson Bay (look to the bottom right).

Artic Hare

Belly Cleaning II

The 'Finale' of the grooming routine - looking over your shoulder toward the audience. Here is a look of satisfaction, a crowd pleaser. For me this performance was a highlight of my day.

Female Polar Bear

A picture tell a thousand words - therefore here is five thousand reasons for travelling to Churchill to see the Polar Bears. What an absolutely magnificent display of nature. Watching the bears in their natural environment - waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze over, to begin their migration for the Winter. This female bear was sitting on a bed of kelp. We waited by her side, and waited. She would occasionally turn her head to look at us, but was content to stay perched on her 'bed'. That was until she decided her belly needed washing - this is what the photos show. Her sliding off the bed of kelp as part of her grooming routine. She then preceded to roll on her back - which gave us all a good view of her black paws and clean belly.

Travelling to the 53rd Parallel

Winnipeg, Manitoba

A visit to view Polar Bears in their natural habitat takes commitment. Thus, it was a great adventure that was jammed packed when Melita, Angela and I travelled to Churchill, Manitoba to fulfill this dream. The main travel route to Churchill is via Winnipeg, Manitoba. The name Winnipeg originates from the Cree word 'win nipee' meaning 'muddy water', due to the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. It was a very short visit to this city, and thus I have included only a sample of what it has to offer. The first few photos obviously state the fact that Winnipeg is proud to be the gateway to Polar Bear Country. Here you see me with an 'Australian' bear, and the second is an ode to Don Cherry - a Hockey Icon...Canadians will know him well! I found this city to be larger than I expected, and odd in it's aesthetics. The city has tried to embrace many architectural styles, but fails in its' attempt to produce a stylish and modern city - in fact it felt like you stuck in the the 1950's. Anyway, time to move on. An early start is expected tomorrow.