POLAR BEAR INVASION

Pat Neisser

Once upon a time, not very long ago, a snow white arctic hare sat

chatting away with an ebony raven on the edge of the tundra in

Churchill, Canada. An awestruck busload of 14 visitors gawked out of

their windows, wondering if this was a Northern branch of Disneyland.

For at least five minutes, this friendly interchange continued until

the raven gracefully spread its wings and soared away to settle on a

rock overlooking Hudson Bay. The arctic hare remained stoic as a few

intrepid souls crawled closer to look.

What an incredible beginning to our four-day stay in this northern

reach of the province of Manitoba in Canada. For two years, I had

tried to get on this Wildlife Adventures tour, and lucked out only

this past fall, joining 14 other eager polar bear enthusiasts for a

delightful stay at the charmingly rustic Bear Country Inn in the

heart of Churchill.

Bundled up in warm clothes and boots as advised by the tour group,

we were ready for freezing temperatures and we got them. We were also

terribly excited about meeting a few of these awesome creatures and

seeing them up close and personal.

Fortunately for visitors, the up close meant that we were enclosed

in a cozy Tundra Buggy, safe from the large black claws of these

handsome beasts. These bulky white buggies have enormous all-terrain

tires, a bathroom, seats and windows that open from the top. An open

balcony offers riskier looks at the local beasts. My first view of a

1,000-pound male bear with his black-button nose and silky hair as he

loped toward our buggy was breathtaking. His hair flowed like a field

of wheat in a gentle wind.

No creature has the stature and grandeur of this largest of land

creatures. He crawled up the side of the buggy, and I removed my face

from the driver’s window in a nanosecond. These beautiful beasts are

anything but friendly, and although they look like fluffy stuffed

animals; gentle, they aren’t. Curious yes, which is why they come up

close.

That’s why no one feeds them as well. There were at least 20 bears

during our visits to the tundra -- 10 miles from Churchill. You could

even stay in a tundra lodge out here. The polar bears head for this

Churchill Cape area every fall to graze until the bay freezes over,

then they dive for their favorite meals -- succulent seals. But they

only hunt in winter, so the balance of bears to seals stays even. We

also saw white arctic foxes, Ptarmigans (called stupid chickens) and

a few more hares playing on the frozen ground.

Back in the swinging town of Churchill, with 500 permanent

inhabitants, we saw the Polar Bear Jail that keeps wandering bears

from window and house hunting. Bear alarms go off and kids have an

early curfew. The jailed bears are darted, tagged and flown via

helicopter back to the wilderness.

Churchill may be tiny, but its reputation is enormous as are its

frequent furry visitors. It also is the only subarctic port in Canada

and its five million bushel grain-complex dispenses grain to

ocean-going vessels between spring and fall.

A large building complex houses schools, movies, hospital, rinks,

courts and everything needed by the residents during the dreadful

winters. Shops, inns and restaurants are all open during the fall and

summer and are surprising good.

Sadly, all good things must end and we headed back to Winnipeg by

via rail on Hudson Bay train and were able to relax and enjoy our

bear stories. I brought back many stuffed polar bears and superb

Inuit-carved soapstone carvings. I shall return to visit my favorite

animals.

* PAT NEISSER is a Newport Beach resident.