Polar Bear Cub & Mother Marching in Time

Recently when in the Arctic, I came across these two polar bears - mother and 2nd year cub making their way across the snow.

I watched them for some time and became transfixed by the symmetry of their walking.  It reminded my of two soldiers maintaining the same distance from one another and "walking in time". 

They continued to walk like this for sometime and appeared to showed no apprehension towards my presence - although I am quite sure they new exactly where I was at any particular time.

LEFT:  Polar bear mother and 2nd year cub make their way accross the snow in Canada.

Comments

[BillR]

Just read an Reuters attribution to a picture of a polar bear carrying a dismembered polar bear cub.

They attribute this text to you:
"RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2009 CANADA A male polar bear carries the head of a polar bear cub it killed and cannibalized in an area about 300 km (186 miles) north of the Canadian town of Churchill in this picture taken November 20, 2009. Climate change has turned some polar bears into cannibals as global warming melts their Arctic ice hunting grounds, reducing the polar bear population, according to a U.S.-led global scientific study on the impacts of climate change. Picture taken November 20, 2009. REUTERS/Iain D.
Williams (CANADA ANIMALS ENVIRONMENT)"

My question is: How can you make such a statement? All male bears are known to kill offspring that they know not to be theirs. What justification do you have for blaming global warming?

BillR

[Iain Williams]

Hello Bill

Thanks for your comment. BTW, the comment relates to a different post below this one.

First, I have not made any suggestion that bears are cannibalizing because of "global warming". What I have said is that there are more bears in a smaller area because the ice is not freezing as quickly as it did in the past. This is leading to more bear activity within the population as the bears are all waiting for the ice to freeze.

Why the ice is not freezing as quickly as it did in the past is a debate I am not interested in getting into.

The comment you have copied above I did not write. The comment was written by a Reuters editor and is not what I endorse.

Please read my post about cannibalism a few threads down from this post. If you read this you will note I do not say anything about bears eating each other because of global warming.

I trust this clears up any issue you may have. Best for 2010

[BillR]

Hi Iain,

Thanks for you reply. I did read your blog and I agree that you story is
more nuanced than the Reuters copy.

I can see that you're a man who loves his work. Keep it up your results
are outstanding.

Bill