Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
POLAR BEAR FACTS
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A male polar bear can be longer than a compact car.
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Polar bears have a clear second eyelid that protects the bear's eyes like
built-in goggles.
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Some males can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds.
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Sometimes polar bears turn green. Polar bears in zoos at warmer climates
are susceptible to algae that can grow in their hollow hair tubes. Although
it doesn't hurt the bears (except maybe their vanity), the San Diego Zoo
“cured” its polar bears in 1980 by washing them in a salt solution.
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Under their white or cream-colored fur, they have black skin that absorbs
the sun's rays and keeps them warm.
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They have huge feet that work like snowshoes—even though they can
weigh nearly a ton, they can walk on ice that wouldn't support a human.
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Polar bears are marine mammals and come ashore only when the ice disap-
pears.
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Cubs weigh a mere one pound at birth.
Located about 18 miles from the town of Churchill, the CNSC has labs, classrooms, a
heated observation dome, a library, a herbarium with nearly half of those 500 species of flora,
and a helicopter landing pad. Accommodations are basic, with dormitory-style housing (in
polar bear season, each room usually has four to six snoozers) and shared bathrooms.
The CNSC is located at the edge of the boreal forest and the low Arctic tundra and also
offers programs on birding, arctic wildlife, winter survival, beluga whales (the bay is one
of the most reliable spots on Earth to see belugas in the summer), wildflowers, the northern
lights, and astronomy.
The polar bear trip runs about $2,000 and includes meals, train or airport shuttles, local
tours, and presentations.
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH
Churchill Northern Studies Centre,
P.O. Box 610, Churchill, MB R0B 0E0, Canada,
204-675-2307, www.churchillscience.ca.
