Polar Bear Airlifted to Safety After Getting Too Close to Town

A polar bear that was getting a tad too close to town was airlifted back to safety in Manitoba, recently shared footage shows.

Tour guide Drew Hamilton told Storyful that Churchill, Manitoba, lies directly in the migratory path of the Western Hudson Bay population of polar bears, making the inhabitants of the “self proclaimed polar bear capital of the world” quite savvy about the dos and don’ts.

Hamilton recently shared this video, which shows a polar bear being airlifted in a net, and told Storyful that although this particular video was recorded back in 2021, such occurrences were common practice in Churchill.

“The town of Churchill and province of Manitoba go to great lengths to keep bears and people safe, so bears that get too close to town are pushed off,” Hamilton said. “Whenever we hear about a bear lift we will head to the holding facility to watch as the bears are lifted away.”

Hamilton said that conservation officers could receive up to a 100 bear-related calls in town within a few months during years where the sea ice is gone for extended periods. Credit: Drew Hamilton via Storyful

Video transcript

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