According to recent studies, more grizzly bears are moving into the northern regions of Canada, with some even spotted in Wapusk National Park. In fact, a total of 9 grizzlies have been spotted in the past 14 years, with 4 spotted this summer alone. It still remains somewhat of a mystery as to why these grizzly bears are so far from their typical habitats, but experts figure it is more likely due to reduced hunting pressures than global warming.
The scientific community isn’t worrying too much about the fact that there will be an increase in grizzly-polar bear conflicts because if the trend in loss of ice and habitat for the northeastern corner of Manitoba continues, polar bears will not frequent Wapusk National Park in the future. This is because the polar bear population will follow Arctic sea ice as it retreats farther north and away from the region. This was further communicated by PBI Species Expert Andy Derochers in an article published by National Geographic.
Polar Bears International’s website has a great video illustration of the sea ice loss and temperature trends of the Arctic on their website. Click on the image below to see the video on their website.
