As the climate continues to change, the polar bear’s range
moves south as the planet continues to warm. This means that we
should expect more human encounters with the polar bear. This can be a problem
for scientists working in these regions. Enter the Canadian bear expert, Andy
McMullen, a Canadian 35 year veteran who teaches Dartmouth scientists about
bear behavior before they embark upon studies in bear country.
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According to Erich Osterberg, assistant
professor at Dartmouth, because field conditions have changed some Dartmouth
scientists in Greenland now carry rifles and hire guards for polar bear
protection where polar bears were once rare hence the need to solicit
McMullen’s expertise.
McMullen knowledge is from the old
folks who used to hunt them with a spear. He says, “Inuit elders say the simple
sight of the bear is not a call for panic, but it is easy to panic if you are
not armed with knowledge. If you don’t know how to avoid them or what to do or
how to interpret their behavior, you’re stuck.” In other words, the key to not getting eaten is packed in the power of
knowledge.
But McMullen has a high regard and
respect for the polar bear, Ursus maritimus. “They are gymnastic bears,” noting
their ability to leap among the ice floes. “They are very powerful swimmers.
They are highly intelligent animals, and their sense of smell is legendary.”
The polar bear is almost
exclusively carnivorous, and the ice, their preferred habitat, is their hunting
platform. When the pack ice melts they come ashore, making it the most
dangerous time in the north—with the highest risk of an encounter.
McMullen says polar bears tend to
approach cautiously. “If you remain quiet and don’t do anything, the bear will
come closer to try to figure out what you are. The idea is to let it know you
are human as soon as you can. All you have to do is talk,” says McMullen. “The
human voice is probably the best deterrent there is, and I take mine with me
everywhere I go,” he jokes.
Polar bears want seals, their diet
preference, not humans. Human encounters are likely based on curiosity,
signaled by the animal sniffing the air, stopping, and starting, standing on
its hind legs or displaying defensive behavior such as huffing and puffing,
growling or stomping. McMullen advises to not make eye contact or run but back
away slowly without, shouting or making sudden moves.
Read more at Dartmouth.
Man versus polar bear image via Shutterstock.