CANADA: Sled dogs and a polar bear show

This column is a continuation of my adventures in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada for the polar bear migration the last week of October.
Our first day out on the tundra was amazing. It's hard to believe the polar bears haven't eaten in several months. I can only imagine how much larger they would be in March, with three or four inches of fat packed on their bodies from a steady diet of ringed seals.

Tracking polar bears is similar to tracking lions or wild dogs in Africa, only the vehicles are much larger. The tundra buggies are incredible. They maneuver easily through mud, snow or several feet of water. They can literally go everywhere at a crawling pace. I tried driving our tundra buggy for a few feet. It's like driving a truck, without power steering.

The following morning we were up early and headed to the Northern Studies Center for a presentation on dog sledding by John Stetson. Having traveled more than 60,000 miles with his team of huskies, he is one of the best-known dog team drivers in North America. Mr. Stetson presented a slide show and shared with us some of his exploits in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. His photos were stunning and truly reflect the isolation and bitter cold out on the tundra.

We then bundled up and headed outside to meet his "family" of sled dogs. The dogs were so excited, jumping up and down and raring to go. The sleds, which were designed for sled rides rather than for actual racing out on the tundra, were on wheels. There are two types of huskies used for sledding: the smaller racing dogs who wear little booties to protect their feet and the bigger Inuit dogs. Neither type look like the blue-eyed Siberian husky we usually associate with Alaska and dog sledding. These are working dogs. After our sled ride we spent time with the dogs before heading back to Churchill.

In the afternoon, we met back at the local community center for a presentation by Myrtle de Meulles, an elderly Metis woman who grew up as a fur trader's daughter. The stories of her childhood were fascinating. They sounded more like stories from the early 1800s than the mid-1900s.

It finally started to snow on our second day in the tundra buggy. The polar bears were delighted. They seemed to know it wouldn't be much longer before Hudson Bay froze, and food was plentiful. They definitely were more active and several of the larger males began to "playfight." As silly as that may sound, male bears get restless and will find other male bears to "spar" with. It's fascinating to watch.

According to our guide, Carol Walton, fights usually start when one bear ambles over and signals his intent with a lowered head, a nudge or a bite. The two bears go face to face, opening their jaws wide, moving from side to side, sizing each other up. Soon the intensity builds. They wrestle, trying to wrap their massive paws around their opponent's neck. When they both rise to their full height, standing on their back haunches, it really gets interesting. They shove and push and even try to tackle their opponent. This "playfighting" goes on for five or 10 minutes or until one of the bears gets tired of the game and wanders away. They rarely draw blood; it really is a game with them. Boys will be boys!

Another theory on playfighting is that it allows the bears to size up potential competitors they will encounter during the mating season. Come spring, female polar bears are ready to mate and male competition is often fierce. Driven by the scent produced by the female, male bears will track a potential mate for miles. Often more than one bear is tracking the same female. This is where the competition heats up and vicious battles between large male bears often result in scars, wounds and broken bones. Not a pretty sight.
We spent the day on the tundra, watching the bears and enjoying the roughhousing. When a bear rears up, he really is a formidable opponent. Janet Landfried and I were standing on the outside viewing platform watching a curious bear below. All of a sudden he reared up and we were face to face. That was one scary moment. Janet got the picture; I was too shocked to remember to take a picture.A word about the accommodations in Churchill. They are definitely not the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton. Most of the hotels/motels are a cross between Motel 6 and a Holiday Inn. From year to year they rotate accommodations with the different tour operators. Almost everything is sold out months in advance. It would be difficult to go on your own without being part of a group. Also, if you are planning a trip up north, make sure meals are included since there are not a lot of restaurants and most are fully booked with tour groups.

The trip was fabulous. I have an entirely new respect for these beautiful creatures of the far north. They lead a harsh life, and with evidence of global warming, it's going to get even more difficult. Over the past several years the bay has frozen over a few days to a week later and thawed earlier. The bears are losing valuable feeding time to build up the fat reserve that they desperately need during the spring and summer months. Several research projects pertaining to global warming and its effect on the bears of Churchill are ongoing.

I was sad we were leaving Churchill and the polar bears. It had been a wonderful trip and seeing polar bears in their natural environment is definitely worth the trip to Canada's far north.