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The Effects Of Ecotourism On Polar Bear Behavior, Gillian Eckhardt
The Effects Of Ecotourism On Polar Bear Behavior, Gillian Eckhardt
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Polar bears spend the majority of their lives on the sea ice, where they gain access to seals and mates. In western Hudson Bay, the sea ice melts for three to four months in the summer, and polar bears there are forced onto land. These bears live on their fat reserves for the duration of the iceless period, until temperatures get colder in the fall and freeze up begins. The aggregation of polar bears near Churchill, Manitoba during the ice free period has led to a thriving tourist industry, with a large influx of tourists visiting Churchill in the fall …