Today’s worldwide polar bear population is estimated to be around 26,000, with approximately two thirds of the world population living in Canada. Of those in Canada, over 90% love in the northernmost territories of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, but there’s a handful that make it further south.
Of the 13 subpopulations managed or co-managed by Canada (there are 19 subpopulations worldwide), the Davis Strait is among the southernmost. There’s around 2,015 polar bears remaining in the subpopulation, inhabiting parts of Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Québec. Despite being an island, a handful of polar bears do make their way to the northeast coast of Newfoundland, like this polar bear spotted sliding down a snow covered hill.
As the video explains, Joy Keats captured the footage through a security camera back on April 19th. She wasn’t home at the time, so there was no threat to her when the bear showed up on her property.
The bear does interact with the neighbors dog but it seems like it must have been well fed, as it quickly moves on and doesn’t attempt to attack the pet. Polar bear sightings in Newfoundland are most common in the spring, a time when their pushed south by sea ice to hunt seals. While this interaction was harmless, polar bears can easily be a threat to pets and humans, and it’s vital that residents and visitors to polar bear territory take the necessary steps to remain safe.
Apparently sliding is actually a fairly common behavior for polar bears, whether it’s to conserve energy, assist in grooming, or two distribute weight on ice. That said, there is some evidence that the animals, especially cubs, will sled around for no reason beyond enjoyment.
