Polar Bear Jail in Churchill Built To Keep Wayward Predators; the First of Its Kind in Animal Conservation

The polar bear sighting has become a tourist attraction in places where these animals are frequently spotted. However, in places where polar bears thrive in large populations, this may threaten human lives as they encounter the largest land carnivore on Earth. In Churchill, Canada, the polar bear population is almost equivalent to the human population.

(Photo: Pexels/ Nathan Stein)

Driving the Polar Bears Away from Town

In the town of Churchill in Canada, the number of human residents is almost equal to that of polar bears living along Hudson Bay. Residents and tourists are in danger of encountering hungry bears, so the conservation officers are taking measures to keep the bears out of the town as quickly and safely as possible.

Polar bears spend as much of their time as possible in sea ice, covering large distances as they search for seals as food. In Canada, the Hudson Bay melts entirely during summer, and the bears in this region must spend this season ashore. At the end of July each year, the bears spend their summers in Wapusk National Park. As the winter comes near in October and November, the bears take on a journey again in search of seals. They head toward the tundra along the bay shore while waiting for the water to get frozen. When they do, their journey takes them around or through the town of Churchill, as reported by National Geographic.

It is during the time of fall that the bears are hungry and are willing to eat anything. Because of this, they are most likely to show up in or near Churchill before the bay freezes.

Bears are known for being very receptive to loud sounds, and the authorities use this as an advantage to trap the animal. Using horns, sirens, and scare cartridge-loaded shotguns, they encourage and guide the bear west out of the town as gently as possible. They capture the bears using a truck with a culvert trap, although there are also conservation team members who use helicopters to locate bears hiding in the rocks and drive them away from town.

Sometimes, the authorities must use physical deterrents such as rubber bullets or paintballs to move the stubborn bears along. Some bears refuse to leave the town as they have learned to associate with the residents. They return to get food from the trash cans and visit the waste management facility. These are the bears that end up in jails at the edge of the town.

First-of-Its-Kind Bear Protection Program

In the past, it was a common practice in Churchill to kill bears that come in close encounters with humans. The town authorities try to change this by building a Polar Bear Holding Facility or 'jail' to help the bears and humans live harmoniously. It is part of the Polar Bear Alert program, which aims to give the bears an experience they will not repeat.

The facility is a former military base located in the Arctic in the province of Manitoba.

Only the most unruly bears or those that pose a threat to the residents are kept in the facility. The facility has 28 cells which include individual cells, cells for mothers and cubs, and air-conditioned cells.

Inside the jail, they are not fed, but they are given water and snow. This is done to teach the bears how to associate food with people and prevent them from returning. Authorities assure that it does not harm the bears because they have fat stored during the summer season and don't typically eat during this time. The captured bears remain in the facility for 30 days or until the ice formation begins on Hudson Bay. The bears are given ear tags for tracking purposes.

The authorities explained that the holding facility is not a punishment for the 'bad bears.' However, as climate change and global warming causes more sea ice to dwindle, bears are forced to venture towards human communities to search for food.