Polar Bear Blog - Bears Again! - July 30, 2006

Finally, a polar bear update on the polar bear blog.

L5, Churchill's recycling centre, is chugging along, at least at the local level, who knows what is going on in the bureaucracy above. Anyway, there is still garbage in there waiting to be shipping out and still bear attractive smells. However, most bears have either been escorted away by Manitoba Conservation or have simply moved on once they decide it is too much effort to break-in to the building.

Of course, not ALL bears think it is too much effort. There is one mid-sized young male that has become kind of a resident at L5. He comes around at night or early in the morning and sneaks in only to disappear during the day when Conservation Officers are looking for him.

While town workers keep upgrading the defences to L5, he keeps finding innovative methods of accessing this big, wonderful pile of rotting garbage.
One of his latest excusions into L5 came at the expense of the back wall. Since all the windows are barred, this bear simply peeled away the wall, wood, insulation and all, and squeezed in to the building. An eight foot drop off a rock face and he was in.

Of course, he has been 'busted' by town employees one or two times. Last week, in his panic to escape, he actually squeezed UNDER the iron gates at L5. Those gates are only 10" off the ground. If a bear can get his head through something, you can be assured that the rest of him will somehow squeeze through as well.

Stay tuned for the hide and seek updates this summer.