Polar bears

One of the world's largest known polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity denning areas is located in Wapusk National Park. The park is located within the range of the Western Hudson Bay population of polar bears. Though the polar bear is designated as Special Concern under Canada’s Species At Risk Act, it has been listed as Threatened under the province of Manitoba’s Species and Ecosystems at Risk Act.

Sea ice is the natural habitat of polar bears, and it's where they hunt their preferred food source: seals. From late September to mid-November, many of the bears migrate north to the coast to catch the first pack ice of the winter. During this time, the number of bears peak along the Cape Churchill peninsula: an area of coastline that runs from the town of Churchill to the northern tip of Wapusk National Park.

Polar bears are built to thrive in an arctic marine environment. Translucent fur covers a thick layer of fat, and their small ears and tails help to minimize heat loss. Polar bears have large paws that measure up to 30 cm across, and act as snowshoes and allow them to tread on thin ice. The large paws also assist while in the water, by acting as paddles, making them very efficient swimmers.

Polar bears walk at a pace of 5 to 6 km/h, and can reach speeds of at least 40 km/h for brief periods of time. Moving at quick paces for extended periods of time can put the bears at risk of overheating when the weather is hot. Polar bears are so well insulated by fur and fat stores that their body temperature and metabolic rate remains constant even at temperatures as low as -37 degrees Celsius. On truly cold days, they will dig a shelter in a snowbank to limit heat loss.

When the ice of the Hudson Bay breaks up, anywhere from early June to late July, the bears come ashore. Female bears, especially those that are pregnant or with cubs, travel inland to the denning area while larger bears gather along the coast. During this time, polar bears become opportunistic feeders, largely fasting until they can hunt seals again when the bay freezes. Pregnant females remain on land through the winter to give birth to their cubs and will fast for about eight months. Polar bears can slow their metabolism during the year which allows them to conserve energy when food supply is low.

Due to the effects of climate change, the amount of time polar bears have to hunt on the sea ice has declined steadily. Compared to the 1980s, the formation of ice is occurring later and thawing is happening earlier, meaning polar bears have less time to access ice. Sea ice is important for polar bears’ ability to hunt and store up enough fat reserves for the ice-free period as well as reproduction.

Polar bear selfie gallery

 

These sweet and silly poses were captured by trail cameras in Wapusk National Park. Using remote cameras to monitor wildlife helps guide Parks Canada’s conservation in the Northern Manitoba park.

The cameras are motion activated, so every time an animal walks by, it takes several pictures. Each photo has a time stamp and date, along with other information such as temperature and moon phase. Since 2011, the cameras have captured more than 68,000 animal images.

How do trail cameras help polar bears?

Trail cameras are a non-invasive way to watch polar bears in their natural habitat. The photos can help researchers understand polar bear behaviour and how they are adapting to a changing environment. With this insight, Parks Canada can address park management to ensure the protection of polar bears and their home.

Read more about the remote wildlife cameras in Wapusk and what researchers are learning through these images.

How YOU can help

Contribute to the Arctic Bears Project by helping to identify bear species from the tail camera photos in the park. Your help processing a decade's worth of pictures from a changing sub-Arctic landscape is a critical conservation task.

Remote camera images

Animated gifs