What life is like in the ‘polar bear capital of the world’

There are no roads leading to the tiny Canadian town of Churchill, which sits near the north-east tip of Manitoba.

But that doesn’t stop thousands of tourists from taking a train or a plane and visiting every fall.

That’s because in this area, near the shores of the Hudson Bay, you can go out on a tour and get a glimpse of the world’s largest land carnivore: the polar bear.

The Canadian town of Churchill is located near the northeastern tip of Manitoba and there is no road to the town.

But that doesn't stop the thousands of tourists from coming here every fall by train or plane.

That's because in this area off the coast of Hudson Bay, you can travel and catch a glimpse of the world's largest land predator: the polar bear.

The Churchill region is one of the southernmost places you’ll find polar bears. These bears spend most of the year on the Hudson Bay ice, hunting for seals. But when the ice melts in the summer, they have to come ashore for a few months.

The Churchill region is one of the southernmost places to spot polar bears. These bears spend most of the year hunting seals on the ice of Hudson Bay. But when the ice melts in the summer, they have to go ashore for months.

Sometimes, the bears wander near town.

“During bear season, (locals) say that’s pretty common,” said photographer Carlos Osorio, who visited Churchill earlier this month. “I asked people this question a lot, too, because I was super interested: ‘Hey, how common are bears in town?’ I asked the taxi driver who drove me from the airport to my hotel and he said: 'Oh, we just had a bear in town last nigh-t. He was like right there on the corner.’ ”

Sometimes, bears will wander around towns.

Carlos Osorio, a photographer who visited Churchill earlier this month, said: "During the bear season, [locals] say it's common. ”。“ I also often ask people this question because I'm very interested: 'Hey, how common are bears in town?' I asked the taxi driver who drove me from the airport to the hotel and he said, 'Oh, we just met a bear in town last night.' He's just around the corner. ’”

In Churchill, there’s always the possibility of a polar bear encounter; it literally comes with th-e territory.

In Churchill, it was always possible to encounter a polar bear; it actually came with the territory.

But the town has taken steps to reduce risks.

But the town has taken steps to reduce the risk.

There is a “bear patrol” with staff members who monitor the area. There’s a 24/7 hotline tha-t people can call to report a sighting: 675-BEAR. The town has also started to test a new radar system, or “beardar,” to warn of approaching bears.

There is a "bear patrol" where staff are responsible for monitoring the area. There is a 24/7 hotline where people can call to report sightings: 675-BEAR. The town also began testing a new radar system, the BearDa, to warn of bears approaching.

Attacks have been rare. The last one was in 2013, according to the Reuters news agency, and there hasn’t been a fatal attack since the early 1980s.

Attacks are very rare. According to the Reuters news agency, the last time was in 2013, there have been no fatal attacks since the early 1980s.

Only about 900 people live in Churchill, but those who do know to stay aware and be prepa-red at all times. There’s also a custom of leaving car doors unlocked, just in case someone is outside and needs to quickly find protection from a bear.

“You just have to be careful,” Osorio said. “You can't be anywhere by yourself. You have to have a vehicle or someone with you or some means of scaring a bear.

“Some people carry shotguns and fire whatever guns they have into the air. But if you don't have a gun permit, then you could just fire off 'bear bangers,' which are basically like really l-oud cap guns with a little flare on them. That's how you scare the bear away if you get cau-ght in a predicament like that.”

Only about 900 people live in Churchill, but those who know to be vigilant and prepared at all times. There is also a habit of not locking the car door in case someone is outside and bear protection needs to be found quickly.

"You just have to be careful," Osorio said. "You can't be alone anywhere. You have to have a car or a person around, or scare a bear in some way.

"Some people were carrying shotguns and firing all their guns into the air. But if you don't have a license to hold a gun, you can fire a 'bear cannon' directly, which is basically like a large-caliber gun with a little flare. If you get into such a predicament, that's how you scare the bear away. ”

Scaring away the bear is the first tactic that the bear patrol will use if they see a bear gettin-g close to town. If that doesn’t work, they’ll use rubber bullets or a paintball gun to persuade the bear to move on.

Scaring away bears is the first strategy used by the bear patrol when they see bears approaching town. If that doesn't work, they'll force the bear away with a rubber bullet or paintball gun.

A longer bear season means a shorter hunting season — while on land, the bears subsist on their fat reserves — and that has had a dramatic effect on the bear population over the years.

Longer hunting seasons for bears mean shorter hunting seasons — and on land, bears survive on their fat reserves — which has had a huge impact on bear populations over the years.

“There's so much more in Churchill to do than just see polar bears,” he said. “The people are super friendly, everybody in town is super nice. But then there's also beluga whales tha-t congregate in the bay. It's one of the best places for birding. You get to see the Northern Lights like almost every night of the year.

"Churchill had so much to do, not just to see polar bears," he said. "The people here are very friendly and everyone in the town is very nice. But there are also beluga whales that congregate in the bay. This is one of the best bird watching spots. You can see the Northern Lights almost every night of the year. ”。

“There's so much wilderness, and different times of the year offer different things for differe-nt people.”

"There are a lot of wilderness here, and different times of the year present different scenery for different people."