CHURCHILL POLAR BEARS PAGE 3

Churchill, Manitoba is a small town as well as a seaport. The reason that the Polar bears come to Churchill is that the water in that part of the Hudson Bay is the first to freeze in the fall. We were told that the water never gets above 40 degrees. It is fresh water and fairly shallow in that area of the bay so the bear come there to await the formation of the ice floes so they can go out in the bay to feed for the winter. Their main source of food is Ring seal. Polar bear go about 4 months without eating anything substantial and do not hibernate. When they appear in the fall they are really hungry. The female give birth in the dens around December and can go up to 8 months without eating while giving birth and nursing the cubs.

I WISH WE REALLY SAW THIS BUT WE DIDN'T. ALSO ON THE RIGHT IS THE ESKIMO

MUSEUM

CHURCHILL IS A SEAPORT AND EXPORTS GRAIN BROUGHT BY RAIL. APPROXIMATELY 25 SHIPS A YEAR WHEN THE PORT IS NOT FROZEN IN. THE STONE FORMATION IS CALLED AN INUKSHUK. IT WAS ORIGINALLY USED BY THE INUIT PEOPLE TO MARK THE PATH THAT CARIBOU TOOK BUT HAS BECOME A GOOD LUCK SYMBOL.

OUR GUIDE BILL, HE ALSO HAS A BED & BREAKFAST IN THE BUSH

ANGLICAN CHURCH, OLDEST BUILDING IN CHURCHILL. IT ORIGINALLY WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHURCHILL RIVER AND MOVED THREE TIMES TO THE PRESENT LOCATION. IT IS WELL OVER 100 YEARS OLD.

COMPOUND NO, IT REALLY IS POLAR BEAR JAIL, SENTENCE IS 30 DAYS IN SOLITARY. IF THEY COME TO TOWN THEY ARE TRANQUILIZED PUT IN JAIL AND RELEASED IN THE WILD IN 30 DAYS. THERE WERE 14 BEARS IN JAIL WHEN WE WERE THEIR.

THIS IS THE TUNDRA LODGE. YOU CAN STAY OUT ON THE TUNDRA FOR SEVERAL DAYS INSTEAD OF IN THE HOTEL IN TOWN.

TYPICAL TUNDRA TERRAIN


ALTHOUGH THIS BEAR IS ON ABOUT A 10" PEDESTAL IT IS STILL PRETTY BIG

ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL BEAR BIRTHING DEN THE PARK SERVICE INDICATES IT IS A PRETTY GOOD DEPICTION OF HOW THEY APPEAR. OBVIOUSLY WE COULD NOT CHECK OUT THE REAL THING.

OH WHAT A ROUGH DAY I THINK I'LL TAKE A NAP