Churchill Polar Bears 0

Churchill 2021 Polar Bear Season Highlights 4- Portraits of Teardrop

By · On January 21, 2022


One of the season highlights for me while guiding 4 Churchill polar bear expeditions for Natural Habitat Adventures was several sightings of one of the most awesome giant males I have ever seen. I estimate this bear to be in his prime by the looks of his giant bulk, and numerous facial scars indicating many battles for females during mating season. One of eyes looks a little damaged, and a scar under his other eye resembled a tear drop tattoo, so I called him Teardrop.

What a bruiser, with the scars to prove his status as a top contender for females during the early spring mating season.

I was thrilled to get this image of the beast with a very clean, simple background to accentuate the dramatic pose as he stared at our Polar Rover.

Imagine the memories that this giant bear has…..

Normally polar bears gain most of their weight in the late winter through early summer hunting young seals and will appear their leanest in the fall as they can’t hunt seals during mid summer through early fall. Some bears like this monster appear in fantastic condition in October and November, likely because they found beluga whale carcasses on the shoreline.

Teardrop briefly sparred with another huge male in the willows by a frozen pond. Sparring is an excellent way for the males to practice their fighting skills for when the real fights occur in mating season.

When want to physically interact they often roll on their backs to show their benevolent intentions.

Thanks for checking this post out! I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to guide polar bears this past fall. Covid provided challenges, but it was so worth it for the economics of the town of Churchill, the employment of our team, and for the travelers who were so ready to explore this wild and incredible part of the world.

Keep exploring! Brad


Brad has been a Natural Habitat Expedition Leader since 2005, guiding Alaska grizzly bear tours, Churchill polar bear tours, northern lights expeditions and China panda tours. His specialty is bear biology and ecology of the north country.

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