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We work with partners on projects related to conflict-reduction, with a goal of helping polar bears and people live safely with each other.
As the Arctic warms and the sea ice melts, more polar bears are spending more time ashore in more places, and for longer periods. This has led to an uptick in polar bear-human encounters, sometimes with tragic results. Our coexistence efforts address these issues.
To reduce conflict and foster coexistence, we support community efforts to become “bear safe.” This includes supporting the Town of Churchill and its Churchill Bear Smart group. The goal is to set recommendations and establish protocols to minimize negative encounters between polar bears and people, allowing both to thrive. In addition, we are working with Cree communities in northern Ontario on bear-safe measures that meet their unique needs, and have started collaborating with the Ny-Ålesund community on Svalbard on safety materials, deterrence tools, and training.
To ensure that “bear safe” messaging is clear, consistent, and easy to follow, we helped create standardized language on how to coexist with polar bears, based on the best available information. We share this through various channels, tailored to different parts of the Arctic, as in the examples below.
From deterrence tools like bear spray, cracker shells, hand-held flares, and high-powered flashlights to proper waste disposal to minimize attractants, we share data on the best tools and practices, working with Arctic communities to identify the tools they need to stay safe. These tools also include new, specially designed polar bear culvert traps to help relocate bears that may pose a threat to human safety.
Indigenous peoples in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, have a deep understanding of how to live safely with polar bears. We recently supported a research project that relied on storytelling to explore Indigenous views of coexistence. Participants included Swampy Cree, Sayisi Dene, Métis, and Caribou Inuit Elders and Knowledge Keepers. They shared insights on living alongside polar bears in the distant past, recent past, and present, as well as their visions for the future.
How often do bear attacks occur and what are the root causes? Is bear spray effective in Arctic conditions? Can “bear-dar” detect an approaching bear? By answering these, and other, questions we can help communities reduce risk and prepare for potential encounters.
Bear-dar: Early Detection Radar
Polar Bears International is collaborating with Spotter Global to create an early alert radar system that alerts communities and remote camps when a bear is approaching.
Polar Bear Deterrents
What are the best ways to keep people and polar bears safe when their paths cross?
Polar Bear Safety
Being bear aware in polar bear country will help keep both polar bears and people safe.
Waste Management
Properly managing waste can help reduce the smells and promise of food that attract polar bears into communities.
Indigenous Knowledge in Churchill
A storywork research project explores the distant past, past, present, and future visions of human-polar bear coexistence with Swampy Cree, Sayisi Dene, Métis, and Caribou Inuit Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
Polar Bear Attacks and Causes
Understanding the causes of polar bear attacks on people is critical to ensuring both human safety and polar bear conservation.
Iñupiaq Knowledge of Polar Bears
A map-based, story-telling approach integrating Iñupiaq and conventional scientific knowledge about changes to polar bears and their habitat.
Garbage and Polar Bears: A Better Solution?
Turning a polar bear attractant into a resource — Arctic communities in Greenland are part of a national network that converts waste into heat and electricity.
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Article | 4 min | Sep 2, 2026
Bear-dar Prevents a Surprise Encounter with Polar Bears
An innovative AI radar system has successfully prevented an encounter between people and polar bears for the first time.
Article | 2 min | Jun 11, 2026
The Power of Collaboration
The surprising partnerships at the heart of polar bear conservation.
Article | 6 min | Mar 30, 2026
Filming a polar bear with a drone? Read these guidelines first
Before you launch a drone in polar bear habitat, make sure you follow these guidelines to keep the bears — and yourself — safe
Article | 4 min | Nov 14, 2025
Polar Bear Communities Unite Across Continents
Lessons from Norway and Canada on living with polar bears
Article | 4 min | Jul 22, 2025
Indigenous Insights on Coexistence
Researchers Kt Miller and Georgina Berg reflect on their recent study on Indigenous knowledge on polar bear coexistence in Churchill, Manitoba, and its impact
Article | 6 min | Feb 13, 2025
Learn about the research we are doing to help polar bears and people live safely with each other.
We actively engage in policy and conservation plans through participation in local, national, and international groups.