Just a quick note on the bears from the Inuit elders perspective.
Usually animals go through population fluctuations lasting about the lifetime of an elder. They will see the high's and low's, the peaks and vvalley's. Right now, Inuit elders and wildlife officers are seeing more bears than they have in a LONG time. Maybe this is just the high peak coming around again?
Two factors could be causing this to happen:
1. There are more bears.
2. The ice takes longer to freeze than even before and melts quicker...bears have to find food so they wonder into and around towns causing more people to see them.
In the new community I live in, the ice didn't freeze until November which is unheard of. No one remembers it EVER taking that long to freeze. If it takes that long to freeze the bears can't get out on it to feed, they stay close to garbage dumps and look for food caches.
I just wanted to post what I have seen and heard from the North.
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