Polar bears in Qik? Check. Pics to back it up? I think I should have went with my Mastercard instead of depending on my Visa…
Well, pooey…I know that word is unnecessarily child-like and ‘clean’, but who knows who surfs through this site; I will try to keep it PG.
Anyway, the news in town is that the polar bears have moved in and have started to appear around the houses. Keep in mind, now, that it’s not hunting season and that I live on a small island. On one side of the community is open water (no bear amphibious attacks, though) and the other is fenced in will a mountain that isn’t too far from my place; creeping overland and across the open space seems to be their favorite method of approach.
Even though I knew they were around, I figured that taking the dog out really close to my place would be ok; I usually stand underneath a street light across the street and let her run around to do her business and stretch her legs. I didn’t go as far this time – I actually stayed on the road – but the bylaw officer who was on a constant patrol of the back of town stopped me anyway and said I should go inside.
I just wanted to include the aforementioned information because about 3 hours later, I could hear the crazy roaring of machines and trucks trolling around out there…and bear tracks about 100 meters from my place. Ok, so it was a small bear, but it was still a bear. Ahh!
Polar bears in the town are a huge problem, but polar bears from afar can be quite an amazing sight to see – one that I had looked forward to witnessing today. About a 2-3 hour boatride from here there is an old whale carcass washed up on shore, and it’s just ‘ripe for the pickins’ (that is, of course, if you like eat maktak, meat, and organs…some do). The bears have taken ownership of this one and there are close to 30 of them out there on a regular basis. This is particularly note-worthy since they are animals that don’t pack a lot.
Interesting fact? A group of bears is called a sloth or a sleuth, but I can’t find a name for a pack of polar bears. Would it be the same? Personally, for a collective noun, I think a ‘murder of crows’ is the best one…or a ‘storytelling of rooks’. Ain’t language fun?
Anyway, the wind picked up throughout the night and there’s a blizzard howling out there now (at least there was at 8 am when we were scheduled to leave), so it looks like I won’t get to see the crazy site. Perhaps I’ll get another chance.
Many people here talk about how smart the bears are. Smart in a weird adaptation sort of way. Somehow, they know when hunting season starts and scoot their hind-parts out right before they’re in too much danger. Crazy, right? Polar bears hunt, they don’t scavenge, which makes them dangerous creatures.
Qikiqtarjuaq is basically there in the lower section of this circle...wish I could figure out how to include an arrow!
…and check out this map…Qikitarjuaq lies right at the southern tip of their roaming grounds. Certainly didn’t have to deal with this issue last year! They’re moving south and east from Greenland as the ice breaks up, and they’re hungry!
As for those who get all ‘agitated’ with the idea of polar bears actually being killed, this is an interesting article. After reading the first paragraph, I was sure it would be another ‘jump off the reality bandwagon and onto the unrealistic conservation vehicle’, but it was actually a well-rounded article. The comment section, however, shows the true colours of a lot of people who have no idea what it’s like to live up here. Bears are not an endangered species here, and the most recent ‘Greenland Study’ (in the 90s), is flawed.
Anyway, enough about the politics of hunting; I just wanted a few pictures today.
