Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard sees over a dozen polar bears in a day in Canadian tundra

MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard saw 17 or 18 polar bears during his first full day on the Canadian tundra Tuesday.

Sundgaard is in Churchill, Manitoba, the “polar bear capital of the world,” leading a learning vacation of 12 Minnesotans to see the polar bears and learn about how they’re being affected by a rapidly warming climate.

He spoke with MPR News guest host Catharine Richert on Minnesota Now about his trip.

For the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or read Sven’s brief below.

The crew is traveling via a tundra buggy — a “school bus on steroids.” It has monster truck tires, sitting comfortably high enough to keep a safe distance between people and polar bears. 

The tundra is normally frozen by this time of year but mild temperatures have kept parts of it muddy and slushy, making for tough going in some spots. Sundgaard and crew almost got stuck as did another tundra buggy. 

The mild temperatures are also creating yet another year with a slow freeze up of sea ice on Hudson Bay. Sea ice is essential for polar bears to hunt seals, their primary source of calories. The ice also went out early this year thanks to a very warm spring and summer — so the bears are hungry and most haven’t eaten much since July. 

The crew saw bears sparring, a sort of play-fighting where male polar bears size each other up. Come spring this will be real fighting for who gets females when it comes to mating. One male did sustain a wound with some blood on his face.

About 2 inches of snow and high winds blew in Tuesday night ahead of a cold front.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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