A Year in the Life of a Polar Bear: 2021 Edition

The polar bear’s life cycle is fascinating—discover why as we explore the cyclical stages that define a polar bear’s year. With a special focus on the polar bears of Churchill in 2021, biologist Eleanor Edye, interim Program Coordinator at Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, is with us to reveal the bears’ annual rhythms. She will discuss the changing dynamics of the 19 polar bear populations around the Arctic, with a focus on Canada’s western Hudson Bay population. These bears follow an autumn migration route past Churchill and onto the Hudson Bay sea ice, where they hunt for ringed seals in winter before returning to den on the tundra in locations like Wapusk National Park, giving birth in the spring. Find out how polar bears’ use of space and resources varies throughout the year, and how this behavior differs depending on a bear’s age and sex. Learn intriguing facts about polar bear biology, especially the unique characteristics that distinguish polar bears from North America’s black and brown bears. You’ll come away with an in-depth understanding of the world’s only ursine marine mammal!


Originally presented December 21, 2021

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