Canada is home to a significant portion of the world’s polar bear population. These Arctic carnivores roam vast territories across the country’s northern regions, making Canada a crucial global habitat for the species. Their presence is deeply intertwined with the unique Arctic environment.
Where Polar Bears Live in Canada
Polar bears are found throughout Canada’s Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, and extending from Ellesmere Island south to James Bay. Canada is home to two-thirds of the global polar bear population, encompassing 13 of the 19 recognized subpopulations worldwide.
Over 90 percent of Canada’s polar bears are found in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Significant concentrations also exist in northern Manitoba, particularly around Churchill, known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” for its large gatherings of bears awaiting sea ice formation. Their habitat changes seasonally, with bears occupying coastal regions, islands, and archipelagos.
What Sustains Polar Bears in Canada
Extensive sea ice is the primary factor sustaining polar bears in Canada. It serves as a vital platform for hunting their main prey, seals, which provide essential fat and energy for survival. Polar bears also utilize the ice for travel, mating, and denning.
During spring, polar bears hunt seals on land-fast and coastal pack ice. When sea ice melts in summer, bears move to shore, relying on stored fat reserves until the ice reforms in autumn. The cold climate and vast wilderness of the Canadian Arctic provide necessary conditions for these highly adapted predators to thrive, aided by their dense, water-resistant fur and strong, clawed paws.
Current Status of Canadian Polar Bears
Polar bears in Canada are designated as a species of “Special Concern” by COSEWIC. This classification indicates that while not immediately endangered, identified threats could lead to their decline. Population trends across Canada’s 13 subpopulations vary; scientific assessments indicate that approximately 54% are stable or increasing, 29% are declining, and 17% have uncertain trends.
Climate change is the most significant threat to polar bears across their Canadian range, reducing sea ice extent and thickness. A shorter sea ice season reduces hunting time, impacting bears’ body condition, reproductive success, and cub survival. Other threats include contaminants, resource exploration, and human-bear conflict, but climate change remains the overarching concern.
Living Alongside Polar Bears
Human communities in Canada’s northern regions, especially Indigenous peoples with extensive traditional knowledge, have coexisted with polar bears for millennia. However, diminishing Arctic sea ice forces bears to spend more time on land, increasing encounters with human settlements. This necessitates strategies for coexistence and safety precautions for residents and visitors.
Towns like Churchill, Manitoba, have established “Polar Bear Alert Programs” to manage interactions and ensure safety. These programs monitor bears entering community areas, deterring them to prevent conflict. “Polar bear alley” refers to migratory routes, like those near Churchill, where bears gather awaiting sea ice formation, making these areas key for observation and management.