POLAR BEAR PURSUIT

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NOTE 2: This is handheld video shot in a flying, twisting helicopter. The clips were digitized with a low frame rate to keep the file sizes small. Sorry about the jerky nature of the vids!

In order to develop the method of implanting satellite transmitters in the subcutaneous space( click HERE for details), we first had to capture male polar bears. The bears were found on the vast ice sheet by flying around in a helicopter until a set of fresh tracks were found. Then we followed the tracks--not an easy task what with blowing snow and pressure ridges. If we were lucky, we stayed on a set of tracks long enough to get to the polar bear at the far end of them. We strictly limit the time we can pursue any bear (to get close enough to dart it). Polar bears are extremely well insulated, and will overheat quickly.

Here I present several short videos of bears we found.
  1. BELLY-FLOP BEAR. A bear can tell when he is moving our onto thin ice. Here, a bear flops onto its belly in an effort to spread its weight over a larger area.
  2. STUMBLING BEAR. This bear stumbles when he runs through a patch of soft snow, but recovers and really moves off!
  3. RUNNING BEAR. This shows a young, fast bear break into a gallop. Older, bigger bears tend to be less fearful of the helicopter, and will turn and face it after only a short run.
  4. UNEXPECTED VISITORS. While a biologist works on an immobilized polar bear, two young bears are attracted to our work site.

 

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