Polar Bear in Iqaluit

For the first time since 2008 we had a polar bear wander into Iqaluit. According to a friend of ours, that is the manager of CBC north, the Polar Bear came up onto the causway on May 26th. As a side note, the causeway is a finger of land that goes out into Frobisher Bay so boats can tie up during low tide.The Polar Bear came along the causeway onto shore. The polar bear was described as a healthy young male. It probably wandered into town from the pack ice where it spent the majority of the winter hunting seals. It was in the downtown part of Iqaluit on the shoreline when the wildlife conservation officers scared it off with flare guns.

Apparently the bear went back out onto the ice on the bay, crossed the bay and went onto land just south of the oil storage tanks. Although the conservation officers were fairly sure it wouldn't come back, a host of residents went down to the causeway over the next few days to see if the bear would venture back into town, Jacquie and I among them.

Although Polar Bears are seen quite frequently within 5 KM's or so of Iqaluit, it is unusual for them to venture into town. According to the CBC manager, the last one to come into was spotted up behind the hospital.

One of our goals of being in Iqaluit is to see a polar bear in the wild. Although this was an opportunity that presented itself, by the time Jacquie and I found out about it, the bear was long gone. Perhaps next time!



Note: This is not a picture of the polar bear in Iqaluit.