Brad tells us the big wowsers of polar bear viewing are to
see the mom/cub, feasting, and sparring. So now we are on a mission to see the
sparring. No sparring today but another 15 bears. And an arctic fox AND a snowy
owl. I only get one eye peeking out from the arctic fox but luckily Rob was
able to get a shot of him with his head up just as we were leaving.
Brad also gives us a talk on bear reproduction called, “Sex,
Violence, and Cubs.” A few interesting facts:
- - Polar bears evolved from brown bears. They were likely offspring that were white, and when in the ice, this was such a help to blend in with the ice and hunt seal that this gene got transferred.
- - Coys (cub of the year) stay with their mothers until about 2 years old and then moms kick them out
- - Mothers and cubs fear male bears; these males if desperate and hungry will eat the young, even if it’s their own
- - Only males practice sparring
- - You can tell female bears by the urine stains on their hind legs
This is also Halloween night, and the town has polar bear
patrol on alert everywhere in town so that the children can have their one
night of the year to trick or treat. It’s a rule that you’re not supposed to
dress up like a ghost or a polar bear for fear of getting taken down by the
polar bear police. Of course, after the lecture ends at 9pm, I’m headed back to
the motel to go work on photos and sleep. Rob is out until 3am partying with
the locals.
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