Polar Bear Week: New images of polar bear migration in Canada reveal the impact of climate change

Right now, hundreds of polar bears are gathering on the shores of Hudson Bay in Churchill, Canada, creating a magnificent wildlife spectacle.

Polar Bears International(PBI) have been monitoring the migration of these mighty mammals as part of their Polar Bear Week (October 31 – November 6), created nine years ago by the organisation to educate people around the world of polar bears and their melting ecosystems.

No snow on the ground in Churchill (Kt Miller/Polar Bears International)

These special arctic animals make their annual trip to what is known as the ‘polar bear capital of the world’ and wait for the sea water to freeze, so they can venture out to the ocean and hunt for seals.

However, this year, new visuals reveal polar bears arriving in Churchill while there is no snow on the ground, which is extremely unusual for the first week of November. This could be critical for the survival of the bears, as the longer they are stuck on land, they longer they must fast.

This years’ migration and Polar Bear Week coincide well with the COP26 climate conference taking place in Glasgow.

“Polar bears have captured the human imagination and become icons of climate change,” says Dr. Steven Amstrup, Chief Scientist at Polar Bears International. “During this year’s migration, world leaders will be discussing the future of our planet at COP26.

“We must act swiftly and collectively. If greenhouse gas emissions continue as-is, the trajectory polar bears are on is not a good one… we predict most will disappear by the end of this century. But it is clear that we have time to protect polar bears, in turn benefitting the rest of life on earth, including ourselves.”

Since the 1980s, the Churchill population of polar bears has seen a 30% decline, with the summer ice-free period three to four weeks longer than it once was, causing polar bears to strain the limits of their fat reserves and leading to more interactions with humans.

Therefore, Polar Bears International supported the town of Churchill in establishing the world’s first polar bear safe community, which minimizes negative encounters between people and polar bears so both can thrive.

Waiting for the water to freeze (Kt Miller/Polar Bears International)

“We’ve been honoured to support the town of Churchill in creating the world’s first polar bear safe community,” says Krista Wright, executive director at Polar Bears International. “It’s important to protect the bears we have in the short-term while also looking at the bigger picture of slowing climate change to protect future generations of polar bears and people alike.”

More stunning images of polar bears have been released this week by the PBI, including some incredible action shots of a tussle between two bears. For keen wildlife enthusiasts and armchair travellers, there’s also the chance to tune into a livestream and see the migration as it happens.

A sparring match between two polar bears (Kt Miller/Polar Bears International)