Human Impact Study
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Polar Bears and People
On a cold fall day, a female polar bear calmly nurses her cubs as cameras whir and visitors talk in hushed tones. Farther down the coast, two powerful male bears take little notice of a tourist vehicle as they stage a sumo-match on the tundra.
The annual gathering of polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay draws thousands of nature enthusiasts to the remote outpost of Churchill each fall. The visitors depart with a deep appreciation of polar bears and their ability to survive in the Arctic. But what effect, if any, does the northward migration of tourists have on the bears?
To answer these questions, PBI funded a two-year study in which scientists measured the bears' responses to both vehicles and sounds and how those responses might change over time.
Information Needed
"No one in the bear-watching industry wants to harm the bears," says PBI President Robert Buchanan. "In fact, Churchill's tour operators tend to err on the side of caution. Thanks to this study, we now have fact-based information that will help those companies set self-imposed guidelines, just like they do in the whale-watching industry."
Dr. Jane Waterman and Dr. Jim Roth of the University of Central Florida conducted the research for PBI over a three-year period, working with M.Sc. candidate Gillian Eckhardt. Throughout the process, the team received invaluable logistical support from two local tour operators, the Tundra Buggy Adventure® (TBA) and Hudson Bay Helicopters. In addition, Nikon Corporation provided high quality digital cameras and lenses to help the team identify individual bears through their whisker patterns.
"The teamwork was incredible throughout the process," says Buchanan. "Everyone worked together for the good of the bears. What's more, now that the facts are in, local companies have been more than willing to adjust their own procedures to make sure that their activities don't disturb the bears."
On a cold fall day, a female polar bear calmly nurses her cubs as cameras whir and visitors talk in hushed tones. Farther down the coast, two powerful male bears take little notice of a tourist vehicle as they stage a sumo-match on the tundra.
The annual gathering of polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay draws thousands of nature enthusiasts to the remote outpost of Churchill each fall. The visitors depart with a deep appreciation of polar bears and their ability to survive in the Arctic. But what effect, if any, does the northward migration of tourists have on the bears?
To answer these questions, PBI funded a two-year study in which scientists measured the bears' responses to both vehicles and sounds and how those responses might change over time.
Information Needed
"No one in the bear-watching industry wants to harm the bears," says PBI President Robert Buchanan. "In fact, Churchill's tour operators tend to err on the side of caution. Thanks to this study, we now have fact-based information that will help those companies set self-imposed guidelines, just like they do in the whale-watching industry."
Dr. Jane Waterman and Dr. Jim Roth of the University of Central Florida conducted the research for PBI over a three-year period, working with M.Sc. candidate Gillian Eckhardt. Throughout the process, the team received invaluable logistical support from two local tour operators, the Tundra Buggy Adventure® (TBA) and Hudson Bay Helicopters. In addition, Nikon Corporation provided high quality digital cameras and lenses to help the team identify individual bears through their whisker patterns.
"The teamwork was incredible throughout the process," says Buchanan. "Everyone worked together for the good of the bears. What's more, now that the facts are in, local companies have been more than willing to adjust their own procedures to make sure that their activities don't disturb the bears."