Polar bears in Newfoundland is a hot topic for us as of late with a lot of questions and searches related to it so we thought we should tackle the subject for fun.
Sometimes a polar bear will make its way into town by floating down on an iceberg or bergy bit, typically getting into shenanigans like this now famous polar bear.
Polar bears in Newfoundland and Labrador are part of the Davis Strait subpopulation, which is one of the 19 subpopulations of polar bears found across the Arctic. In Newfoundland and Labrador, polar bears are most commonly found along the coast of Labrador, where they are often seen on sea ice and occasionally visit land for short periods.
However, they may be forced onto land for several months when sea ice is unavailable, and they have been known to visit the island of Newfoundland on spring ice before moving north again.
The management of polar bears in this region is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources (Wildlife Division), the Nunatsiavut Government, the Torngat Wildlife and Plants Co-Management Board, and Parks Canada Agency.
The Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement empowers the Torngat Wildlife and Plants Co-Management Board to establish hunting quotas and conservation measures for polar bears within the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area.
In recent years, sightings of polar bears in communities along Newfoundland and Labrador’s coastlines have become more common, particularly due to shrinking ice fields in the Arctic, a consequence of climate change. This has led to polar bears being seen more frequently on land, outside their usual sea ice habitat.
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador issues polar bear warnings and advisories, especially during the winter and spring when bears are more likely to come ashore from the ice.
Environment Canada estimates that northern Québec and Labrador are home to approximately 2,500 polar bears, which is about one-tenth of the global total. The Labrador polar bear population is currently considered numerous and healthy, partly due to a boom in their primary food source, harp seals.
Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are advised to report polar bear sightings to local authorities and to exercise caution, as polar bears can pose a threat to human safety. Conservation officers and other wildlife officials may respond to such sightings to ensure the safety of both the bears and the local communities.
In summary, polar bears in Newfoundland and Labrador are an important part of the ecosystem and are managed through a combination of scientific research, traditional ecological knowledge, and collaborative wildlife management practices.
Their presence in coastal communities has increased in recent years, likely due to changes in sea ice conditions influenced by climate change.