Again Russia: Polar Bear Cub Aion...Found by a Search Dog

WWF-Patrouille rettet Eisbärwaisen
Bärenjunge „Aion“ im Moskauer Zoo untergebracht.

Frankfurt - Einer WWF-Eisbärpatrouille ist es vor wenigen Wochen gelungen nahe des ostsibirischen Dorfes Aion, ein junges Eisbärbaby vor dem sicheren Tod zu bewahren. Ein Lastwagenfahrer hatte die Behörden informiert, er habe nahe einer Straße ein verlassenes Bärenjunges gesehen. Nur mit Hilfe eines Spürhundes gelang es der WWF-Schutzpatrouille den rund drei Monate alten, männlichen Bären aufzuspüren. Das Tier war geschwächt, ausgehungert und zitterte am ganzen Körper vor Angst. Erst als es der Dorfpolizist Aleksandr Predybailo, der eng mit den WWF-Team vor Ort zusammenarbeitet, auf den Arm nahm, beruhigte sich der Waise. Predybailo nahm das Tier mit zu sich nach Hause und päppelte es mit Babynahrung wieder auf.

Leider gelang es den Mitarbeitern des WWF nicht, die Mutter des kleinen Aion, der nach dem Dorf benannt wurde, in dessen Nähe er gefunden worden war, aufzuspüren. „Vermutlich wurde das Muttertier von Wilderern getötet oder es hat ihr Junges während eines Schneesturms, der wenige Tage zuvor auf der Insel gewütet hatte, verloren“, befürchtet WWF-Artenschutzexperte Stefan Ziegler. Nachdem Aion wieder zu Kräften gekommen war, brachte man ihn in ein Zentrum des Naturreservats auf Wrangel Island. Von dort aus wurde Aion jetzt in sein neues Zuhause, den Moskauer Zoo, überstellt. „Hat sich ein Bär erst einmal an den Menschen gewöhnt, kann man ihn leider nicht mehr auswildern, da er sonst zu einer Gefahr für die Menschen vor Ort werden würde“, erklärt Stefan Ziegler. Die Mitarbeiter des WWF Büros in der russischen Hauptstadt würden sich aber in regelmäßigen Abständen vom Wohlbefinden des kleinen Eisbären Aion überzeugen.

Wer solche Patrouillen unterstützen und die Eisbären retten möchte, der kann das unter anderem mit einer Spende tun. Schon 60 Euro reichen, um 60 Kilometer Küstenlinie zu überwachen. Mit den Patrouillen kann der WWF die Eisbären schützen und die Wilderei eindämmen.
Das WWF-Spendenkonto: 2000, BLZ 550 205 00 Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Stichwort: Eisbär weitere Infos unter wwf.de (Quelle hier und Danke Uli!)Here I found the second photo & information in English...
http://www.care2.com/news/member/100041282/1458959

"Information about a lonely bear cub came to the village of Chukchi reindeer herding Aion on March 27. At 8 kilometers to the east of the island, not far from a winter camp for g.Pevek (?), a driver saw the cub close to the road. No mom to be seen in the vicinity. At the scene came chief of staff, Oleg Lobov and the local precinct police captain Alexander Predybaylo, who has participated in raids of the WWF Bear Patrol project.

"But the bear was not there, probably hiding somewhere in the hummocks", said the program coordinator of WWF Russia Viktor Nikiforov. - "I had to return to the Buran (bear?)with husky Aion, which found the cub about 200 meters from the road. The bear was frightened by the dog and hissed at her, it was evident that he was weakened. I had to pick him up. "

The bear was taken by village police officer Aleksandr Predybailo to his apartment and was fed concentrated infant formula. The next day one of the troopers - Boris Papylgin - went looking for the mother, traveled in a circle for more than 20 km, but found no one, probably a bear lost in a blizzard or died from a poacher's bullet.

The orphaned cub was reported to Moscow, and after a few days it was brought to Wrangel Island Reserve from where it was sent by plane to Moscow Zoo.

Members from WWF Moscow are checking now how the little bear is adjusting to his new environment. Without his mother he wouldn't have had any chance to stay in the wild."

WWF has been running a polar bear patrol project already for a while in the region of Chukchi which is prone to bear encounters close to settlements and to poaching. Who would like to support their work is welcome to do so. The German account details you find in the German passage above.

Little Aion, welcome to the club, we all hope you will make it even without your mom! And a special thank you to the search dog who found you!

The first one....Grolar Bear 2006...

Dieses Foto taucht immer wieder auf, wenn man bei google 'polar bear hunt' eingibt, hier nun die Geschichte , die dahinter steht, dies war nämlich der erste bekannte und DNS-nachgewiesene Hybridenfund, Kreuzung zwischen Eisbär und Grizzly, in der Arktis...-

This photo comes up frequently when googling 'polar bear hunt', here now the story behind, it had been the first DNA-confirmed grolar bear in the Arctic..."Unique 'grolar bear' to be shipped from N.W.T.

The first known offspring of a polar bear and a grizzly bear, killed by a sport hunter in the North in April, heads this week to its permanent home in Idaho.The seven-foot "grolar bear" was shot by Jim Martell on a guided hunt near Sachs Harbour, located on the Northwest Territories' Banks Island.

Proud of his $50,000 trophy hunt, the veteran hunter paid another $9,000 to have a Yellowknife taxidermist stuff the bear. This week the bear, complete with its skull, is being shipped to Martell's Idaho home.

Initially, Martell was not sure whether he would be allowed to keep the animal. However, Canadian wildlife officials released the body after DNA testing confirmed it was a cross between a polar bear and a grizzly bear.

The one-of-a kind bear will join Martell's personal menagerie of stuffed game after a short stop at a Nevada sports hunting show. The seven-foot "grolar bear" was shot by Jim Martell on a guided hunt near Sachs Harbour, located on the Northwest Territories' Banks Island."

Auch wenn es wirklich aufschlussreich ist, mehr über die Paarungen zwischen Eisbären und Grizzlys zu erfahren, versteht es sich von selbst, dass ich vorgezogen hätte, wenn dieser Bär nicht erschossen worden wäre, das gleiche gilt für den Bären im letzten Monat...-

Although it is really instructive to get to know more about grizzlys and polar bears as breeding mates, it goes without saying, that I had preferred both bears not to be shot....

Source & photo credits:
- Unique Grolar Bear To Be Shipped from N.W.T./ CBC 04.12.2006
- Bear Shot In High Arctic Confirmed As Grizzly-Polar Cross/ Vancouver Sun 01.05.2010, incl. the 2 pics of Jim Martell

Shot for real...Second Generation Grolar Bear in the Northwest Territories

This bear was not aenesthesized, she is dead for real, a fact that did not raise any more questions in the article....

Bear shot in N.W.T. was grizzly-polar hybrid

Could be first 2nd generation hybrid found in wild

"Biologists in the Northwest Territories have confirmed that an unusual-looking bear shot earlier this month near Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., was a rare hybrid grizzly-polar bear.

The unusual-looking bear caught the attention of biologists after David Kuptana, an Inuvialuit hunter, shot and killed it on April 8 on the sea ice just west of the Arctic community, formerly known as Holman.

The bear had thick white fur like a polar bear, but it also had a wide head, brown legs and brown paws like a grizzly.

Kuptana said he shot the bear from a distance after it scavenged through five unoccupied cabins near Ulukhaktok, then tried running toward the community.

Wildlife DNA analysis shows the bear was a second-generation hybrid, officials with the N.W.T. Environment and Natural Resources Department said in a news release Friday.

The bear was the result of a female grizzly-polar hybrid mating with a male grizzly bear, according to the department.

"This confirms the existence of at least one female polar-grizzly hybrid near Banks Island," the release said.

"This may be the first recorded second-generation polar-grizzly bear hybrid found in the wild."

Kuptana told CBC News he is currently selling the bear pelt to the highest bidder and has received calls from across Canada for the unique pelt.

"Right now, we're already at $15,000, and we're going to see how far we can go," Kuptana said Friday. "If we can do better, we'll be happy."

Species interbreeding due to climate change: U.S. scientist

The N.W.T.'s first confirmed "grolar bear" was shot by a U.S. hunter in Sachs Harbour, N.W.T., located on Banks Island, in April 2006. More DNA tests are planned to determine whether the bear shot this month was related to the one from 2006.

Hybrid bears will likely become more common in the North, as the direct consequence of climate change, predicts Brendan Kelly, a marine biologist with the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In the absence of summer Arctic sea ice, polar bears are stranded on land and come into more contact with grizzly bears, he said.

"We're taking this continent-sized barrier to animal movement, and in a few generations, it's going to disappear, at least in summer months," Kelly said.

"That's going to give a lot of organisms — a lot of marine mammals in particular — who've been separated for at least 10,000 years the opportunity to interbreed again, and we're predicting we're going to see a lot more of that."

Kelly said he has seen reports of harp seals and hooded seals interbreeding, as well as beluga whales and narwhal. Interbreeding helps species adapt to major shifts in their environments, he said."

Source:CBS News 30.04.2010

"Operation Peilsender"...Putin in Franz-Josef Land

Und schon wieder Herr Putin, diesmal geht es um eine russische Premiere in Sachen Peilsender, ein tête à tête mit einem Eisbären sowie Fehlern in der Vergangenheit...Hier gleich 3 Artikel und ein Video zu Putins stark mediatisierter Aktion am letzten Donnerstag. Den Link zum dt. Artikel verdanke ich Uli von World of Animals, vielen Dank dafür!-

And again Mr. Putin, he seems to become a regular in the K-Files...This time it's about satellite trackers for polar bears and mistakes in the past...Here 3 articles and a video concerning Putin's last arctic activities, the link to the German one I got from Uli/World of Animals which stresses also via slide show Putin's liking to present himself as nature guy ...(Thanks,Uli! )
Vladimir Putin shakes hands with polar bear and calls for clean-up of the Arctic

29/04/2010

"Vladimir Putin has visited the Franz Josef Land archipelago, where he was briefed on the work of a research expedition studying polar bears that was organized by the Severtsov Institute for Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Assisted by the researchers, the prime minister put a satellite collar on a polar bear and shook the paw of the “master of the Arctic.”
Researchers told the prime minister that this was Russia’s first experiment on using satellite transmitters for observing polar bears.
The program is funded by the Russian Geographical Society and envisages preserving and restoring the polar bears’ population. Researchers will gather information on the animals’ habitat, their movements and population as well as on the factors that have an adverse impact on the bears.
Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Franz Josef Land alone had almost 60,000 tons of fuels and lubricants, some of which spill and pollute the environment. He called for a general clean-up of the Arctic. The prime minister added that other countries that have their interests in the region should also join the clean-up."

Putin tags polar bear for Russian Arctic research project

"Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gave Russian scientists a hand on Thursday, putting a satellite collar on a polar bear during a trip to Russia's Arctic.

Putin traveled to Alexandra Land, one of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago in Russia's far north where scientists are studying the movements of endangered polar bears.

He was shown putting the device on a bear that researchers had caught in a special trap.

Satellite collars allow scientists to follow the migration of animals, observe their daily and seasonal movements and identify habitats.

"Habitation is getting more and more difficult because of the melting ice caps. It is important for us to know the movements of the polar bear, how it reproduces and how it rears its young," Putin said.

He said the Russian government has stepped up efforts to protect the endangered species.

"An international law banning the hunting of polar bears came into force in 1973-74. In the 1990s cases of poaching increased but now we have put things back in order."

Russian polar bear specialist Nikita Ovsyannikov said populations were under stress because of the changing habitat, melting ice and reduction in food sources.

"It's difficult to count the bears because they live on the ice, but we can record increased mortality," Ovsyannikov said.

He said the melting ice was forcing the animals to move to dry land, where there is less for them to eat and they become more vulnerable to poachers.

The deputy director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Vyacheslav Rozhnov, said research into the redistribution of polar bears is being carried out in the United States, Europe and now, for the first time, Russia. He said it is essential to track the movements of the bear to increase understanding on how it may be helped to survive.

"The reduction of the ice sheets, caused by climate change and human activities, is bringing about a global redistribution of polar bears, but no one knows how it is happening," Rozhnov said.

Russia's research into conservation of polar bears is made possible by a 1 million ruble ($34,000) grant form the Russian Geographic Society.

Rozhnov says the findings of the studies should be an incentive to preserve conditions for the survival of polar bears. Currently there are an estimated 6,000 polar bears in the Russian part of the Arctic of a total of 25,000 worldwide."

MOSCOW April 29 (RIA Novosti)

Der Macho der Nation: Putin jagt Eisbären

"Der russische Ministerpräsident Wladimir Putin präsentiert sich bei ungewöhnlichen Ausflügen gern als kerniger Naturbursche. Diese Geschichte ist um ein Kapitel reicher.

Wladimir Putin hat eine neue Kostprobe seiner Berufung zum Abenteurer gegeben. Als Öko-Krieger half er Wissenschaftlern in der russischen Arktis dabei, vom Aussterben bedrohte Eisbären aufzuspüren und mit Peilsendern zu versehen. Angetan mit einem roten Mantel und roter Mütze kniete sich der 57-Jährige neben den Kopf eines betäubten Eisbären, dem ein Sender angesteckt wurde, und half dabei, das schwere Tier zu wiegen.

Putin schüttelte die Klaue des Ungetüms und sagte: «Lass es dir gut gehen». «Es ist wichtig, dass wir wissen, wie sich der Eisbär fortbewegt, sich fortpflanzt und seinen Nachwuchs grosszieht», sagte der Staatsmann. Während seines Besuchs auf Franz-Josef-Land rief er ausserdem dazu auf, die Tausenden von Spritfässern aus Sowjetzeiten, die die Region verschmutzen, zu entfernen.

Der russische Ministerpräsident präsentiert sich bei ungewöhnlichen Ausflügen gern als kerniger Naturbursche. Um auf den vom Aussterben bedrohten Schneeleoparden aufmerksam zu machen, liess sich Putin im vergangenen Jahr in der sibirischen Tundra in einer Astgabel ablichten. Im Baikalsee brachte er bei einem Tauchgang schon eigenhändig einen Peilsender an einem Beluga-Wal an. (bru/AFP)

Und hier auch noch das Video dazu...And here the video...

Source:
- Der Macho der Nation:Putin jagt Eisbären/Basler Zeitung 29.04.2010 (siehe auch Fotostecke zum Thema 'der kernige Putin')
- Putin tags polar bear for Russian Arctic project/RIA Novosti 29.04.2010 incl.video
- Vladimir Potin shakes hands with polar bear.../RIAN 29.042010 Video on YouTube

Related postings:
- Eisbären in Russland...Putin und ein Arktischer Nationalpark/06.04.2010
- Eisbären mit Gebietsansprüchen...The Russian Arctic/06.04.2010

Big-Enough Anna....The Little Sled Dog Who Braved the Arctic

Dies ist der Titel eines Kinderbuches, in dem es um die wahre Geschichte eines kleinen Hundezwergs geht, die zur Anführerin ihres Rudels wird.

Pam Flowers ist dabei, sich für eine sechs Monate lange Fahrt per Hundeschlitten vorzubereiten, 2500-Meilen von Barrow/Alaska nach Repulse Bay in Kanada, die sie zur ersten Frau macht, die die nordamerikanische Arktis allein überquert.

Anna und ihre Geschwister trainieren zusammen mit den älteren ausgebildeten und erfahreneren Hunden, die stärksten unter ihnen werden die Expedition begleiten. Bevor die Jungtiere versuchen, einen Schlitten zu ziehen, wird ihnen erst einmal beigebracht Sprachbefehlen zu folgen, ein Geschirr zu tragen, sowie Zweige, Reisig, und dann kleine Stämme hinter sich zu ziehen.

Obwohl die Kleinste, beweist Anna Mut und Liebe zum Laufen, sie wird für die Expedition ausgewählt. Als etwa in der Mitte des Trecks der erfahrene Leithund Douggie davonrennt; übernimmt Anna die Führung bis zum Abschluss der Reise, die fast doppelt so lange dauert wie geplant. ...
Editorial Review -

"A true story of how the runt of the litter became the leader of the pack. Flowers was preparing for a six-month, 2500-mile dogsled journey from Barrow, AK, to Repulse Bay, Canada, which would make her the first woman to cross the North American Arctic alone. Anna and her littermates trained with the older, more experienced dogs, with the intention that the strongest would accompany the expedition. Before attempting to pull a sled, the young canines were taught to follow voice commands; wear a harness; and drag twigs, sticks, and then small logs behind them. Though Anna was the smallest, she proved to have heart and a love of running; she was chosen for the trip. About halfway through the trek, the seasoned lead dog -Douggie- ran off; Anna took over and was instrumental in finishing the journey, which lasted almost twice as long as planned. ...-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

Pam Flowers erzählt Annas beeindruckende Geschichte auch in Klassenräumen und Auditorien in ganz Nordamerika. Kinder lernen, dass selbst die Kleinsten, die die unter uns am wenigsten Macht haben, groß genug sind, um ihr Bestes zu geben. (Die aufregende Reise des 9 köpfigen Teams, eine Frau mit 8 Hunden, ist auch festgehalten in Wort, Bild und Tagebucheinträgen in dem preisgekrönten Buch "Alone across the Arctic:One Woman’s Epic Journey by Dog Team"

Arctic adventurer Pam Flowers shares Anna’s amazing story in classrooms and auditoriums all over North America. Children learn that even the smallest, seemingly the most powerless among us, are big enough to try their best. (The team’s exciting record-breaking journey is also chronicled in text, photographs, and journal entries in the award-winning book Alone across the Arctic: One Woman’s Epic Journey by Dog Team.)

Hier wird übrigens auch die Begegnung mit einer Eisbärin und ihrem Jungen geschildert, offenbar eine, die einiges Interesse bei den neugierigen Hunden auslöste...-

By the way, here you will find also the account of a polar bear encounter, a female with her single cub...

"As we came around a slight corner, I saw a polar bear about a hundred yards away, standing up in a ravine, nursing her cub. She looked so beautiful. She didn’t move, just stood there watching us as we went by. Because the bears were above eye level, I was praying that we would get by them without any of the dogs seeing them. But just as we came even with them, Robert looked over and saw them. Robert is very social and decided to go visiting. At first the other dogs didn’t see them. I told Douggie to “haw” to help keep us going straight. Then, suddenly, everyone saw them… (ALONE ACROSS THE ARCTIC)"

Was mich angeht, ich bin nun mindestens ebenso neugierig wie Robert geworden...Für Arktisinteressierte und Hundeliebhaber gehören diese beiden Bücher ganz sicher auf die Liste der Bücher, die unbedingt gelesen werden müssen...

As to me, I can only say that I have become curious too...Both books are certainly a must-read for everyone intrigued by the Arctic and loving dogs...

Anna died 2007 at age 15...

Thanks to Pam Flowers and her lovely book, she will always be remembered as what she was...
A brave and intrepid sled dog on an extraordinary journey!





Source & photo credits:
- Big-Enough Anna....The Little Sled Dog Who Braved the Arctic

By the way, I came across Anna while looking for background information about the Arctic village Dikson which was visited by Svetlana Bogdanovitch during her Icebreaker trip, instead I landed here probably because of Ann Dixon, Pamela Flower's co-author of 'Big-Enough Anna'...as so often I am again indebted to the Internet...:))

Please visit also Pam Flower's website, which is really interesting, apart from information of how to make a dog's life happy and healthy, you will find more about her educational school visits and other projects.

Interesting too an article about Pam Flowers by Molly Loomas, presenting her on a website featuring Arctic explorers and here is the link to a more recent article about Pam and the way she is training her dogs, that's where I found the photo with the polar bear...:))

Note:
Alle, die interessiert an Büchern von Pamela Flowers sind, bitte kauft über sie direkt, der Verlag, der ihre Bücher unter Vertrag hatte, ist pleite gegangen, was bedeutet, dass sie keinen Pfennig verdient, solange ihre Bücher woanders gekauft werden.

In case you are interested and you want to buy books of Pam Flower's please buy via her Store as her publisher went bankrupt which means she won't gain a cent if you buy elsewhere!

There will be a second part ...Ein zweiter Teil zu Pam und ihren Hunden ist in Vorbereitung!

A Peaceful Death at 36... RIP Waldo!

"A grizzly bear named Waldo, who entertained Winnipeg zoo visitors since 1974, has died.

Waldo, the Assiniboine Park Zoo's grizzly bear, died last week in his sleep at age 36, curled up in a bed of straw in his hibernating den, stated a press release Monday from the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

The 36-year-old spent the majority of his life in the company of his sister Hilda, who died three years ago at age 33.

They were orphaned in 1974 near Banff, Alta. The cubs were shipped to Winnipeg from the Calgary Zoo later that same year.

"Waldo will be missed by the many zoo staff that cared for him over the years, and by thousands of visitors who enjoyed watching him interact with Hilda, and dive into the pool for apples," the press release stated.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo has maintained grizzlies since 1951, during which time 12 cubs have been born.

Waldo was a good animal who rarely gave zookeepers any problems and loved his food, said zoo curator Bob Wrigley.

"When he wanted to eat his dinner he would bang on the 200-pound steel door and you could hear that banging all over the zoo," he said. Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park was also home to Debby, the famous polar bear who died two years ago when she had to be euthanized in November 2008 after her organs began to fail from old age. At 42 she was at that time the oldest living polar bear in captivity. Born in the Russian Arctic in 1966, she came to Winnipeg as an orphan a year later.The zoo has not been able to get another polar bear since Debby because the enclosure no longer meets provincial standards.

However, in December 2009, Premier Greg Selinger announced that a new polar bear rescue shelter and exhibit will be the centrepieces of a conservation centre to be constructed in 2011.The centre will include a state-of-the-art polar bear enclosure as well as a new arctic exhibit featuring caribou, arctic fox, snowy owls and musk oxen."

Source & photo credits: CBC News & Waldo with his sister Hilda I found here, where you can find some more zoo pics and even a video!

"Der Bärenmann in Kamtschatka" - Charlie Russel -"The Bear Man of Kamchatka

Heute bekam ich von einer guten Freundin den enthusiastischen Tip, mir doch die 43 minütige NDR Videodokumentation über Charles Russell anzuschauen...-

Today was asked by a good friend to have a look at a 43 minutes long NDR video documentation featuring Charles Russell, she was very enthusiastic about it...
'Der Bärenmann in Kamtschatka' erzählt die unglaubliche Geschichte eines Mannes, der sein Leben den Grizzlys gewidmet hat. Wie eine echte Mutter zieht der kanadische Bärenexperte Charlie Russell verwaiste Jungtiere auf. In der Wildnis im Nordosten Russlands bringt er ihnen das Fischen bei, verteidigt sie gegen erwachsene Männchen und lehrt sie, wie sie sich in der Weite der Landschaft bewegen müssen, um zu überleben."-

'Der Bärenmann in Kamtschatka' tells the incredible story of a man who has dedicated his life to grizzly bears. Charlie Russell, the Canadian bear expert, raises orphaned cubs in the noth eastern wilderness of Russia, he teaches them how to fish, defends them against adult males and teaches them how to move in the vastness of the landscape in order to survive."Charlie Russell kennt sich mit Bären besser aus als jeder andere. Schon 1997 nahm er drei verwaiste Grizzly-Junge mit nach Kamtschatka, um sie dort auszuwildern. Schon bei diesem Projekt entstand zwischen ihm und den Bären eine Intimität, die man bisher noch nie so gesehen hatte." -

Charlie Russell knows bears better han everybody else. Already 1997 he took three orphaned grizzly cubs with him to Kamchatka to release them into the wilderness. During this project already a close bond of intimity between him and the bears developed which has been unseen before."Doch dann kam die Tragödie: 2001 erschoss die russische Mafia seine Schützlinge. Aber Charlie Russell lässt sich von seinem Vorhaben nicht abbringen. Er geht mit zwei neuen kleinen Bärenwaisen zurück und fängt wieder von vorne an."-

But then a tragedy happened: 2001 the Russian mafia shot his proteges. But Charlie Russell continued, he returned with two new orphaned cubs and restarts with his work.

Bald gesellen sich zwei weitere Jungbären dazu, welche Russell von früher kennt. In diesem mehrfach preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm geht es um viel mehr als nur die Aufzucht von Jungbären. Charlie Russell beweist mit seiner Art zu leben, dass die Menschen ihre Angst vor Bären überwinden und so dazu beitragen können, dass diese grossartigen und spannenden Tiere zukünftigen Generationen erhalten bleiben. (Text source here)-

Soon two other cubs joined in, known by Russell from before. This award-winning documentary is about much more than just the raising of young bears. Charlie Russell proves with his way to live, that people can overcome their fear of bears and may contribute to the survival of these magnificent and fascinating animals for future generations.

Wegen unserer lokalen Inselschneckenverbindung war es mir leider nicht möglich, den Film selbst anzuschauen, also googelte ich ein wenig und fand stattdessen folgende Videos zu Charles Russel und den Kamschatka Bären auf YouTube, einen kleinen Einblick verschafft zumindest folgendes Video, zwar nur 5 Minten lang und sicher kein Ersatz für die Dokumentation, aber allemal sehenswert, sozusagen das Trostpflaster für alle, die das lange Video ebenfalls nicht sehen können.-

Due to our well-known local snail like Internet connection, I was not able to watch the documentary myself, bit with the help of Mr.Google I found at least two videos about Charles Russell's Kamchatka project, the longer one with lots of pics here...

Wer Lust auf mehr Infos zu Charles Russells Arbeit bekommen hat, dem sei seine Website Studying Grizzly Bears sehr ans Herz gelegt, folgende Artikel fand ich besonders interessant:-

And who has got some more interest in the work of Charles Russell might find following articles interesting which I found on his website :

- Bears and People Can Share the Same Land!
- Letters from Charlie- Timothy Treadwell-Grizzly Man

Timothy Treadwell was a bear enthusiast who dedicated the last 13 years of his life to grizzly bears too, he and his girl friend Amie Huguenard were killed and consumed by a bear in 2003, later chronicled in Werner Herzog's movie about Treadwell "The Grizzly Man" . Treadwell was either idolized or criticised for many reasons ; Russell's letter is a helpful contribution to understand these discussions, describing too the different approach concerning his and Treadwell's understanding of bears. -

And this is the book I would love to read one day....

Photo credits: Most of the photos I found on Charlie Russell's website but also here and here

Note: I didn't find anything specific about the Russian Mafia incident in 2001, if someone knows more about it, please share!

Kondensmilch ist das Geheimnis....Condensated Milk Is the Secret...Part2.

Here comes the promised second part about polar bears and their liking for condensed milk...You will be surprised, this time the photos are from nowadays and the setting is very different... I found these photos in an article about Russian Nuclear Icebreakers, on one of them was journalist Svetlana Bogdanovitch and her account will lead you through an

"Odyssey in the Arctic with Russian Icebreaker Fleet"

Her photos taken on board of icebreaker "Vaigach" show what it "means to follow along the caravan of ships in the northern seas, led by a colossal nuclear-powered vessel."
"The nuclear-powered icebreakers served as a symbol of Soviet technological power for many decades. Today this fleet is used to aid ship navigation in the seas north of Siberia - and for elite tourism, which helps to pay the bills.

The most powerful of all icebreakers "50 years of Victory" (one of six "Arktika" class) has two nuclear reactors and is capable of reaching North Pole in a couple of days", starting from Murmansk. However, we will not stick to the icebreakers but will go straight to the bears. As their traces can be found on such an odyssey too...
By night....
And by day....
"Polar bears lead a pretty eventful life: from their "romantic" courtship...... to the intense family quarrels...
However,......if they spot a passing ship.......they will drop everythingAnd try to get closer...... knowing exactly what they want.Bears just wanna have milk...!
They try to stretch their meal: one can will keep a bear occupied for up to 3 hours. After they lick the can clean, they start to chew on it, like some sort of chewing gum - to get that last whiff of flavor.
Finally... Sleeping with a full tummy...By the way, it is the same brand of milk which was fed to the bears decades ago, the one with the blue label...

"It’s a can of so-called “condensed milk“, a viscous white substance made by dehydrating milk and mixing it with sugar. Condensed milk is popular here in Russia (slightly less popular nowadays with the fall of SU, but still well-known). It’s extremely tasty and has a variety of uses: you can eat it as it is or make sandwiches with it like you do with jam, you can add it to coffee or tea and to various foods (pearl barley porridge, for one). Also you can boil the can of condensed milk for five minutes or so, and it turns dark-brown, changes it’s taste and becomes more paste-like - absolutely delicious, too.
Apparently, bears like it just as much as humans do."

Amazing too: the bears seem to have some knowledge about how to open the cans and to leave them empty without swallowing them. At least in the article's comments you can find some reassuring replies as reaction to some readers who thought the bears to be in danger by some silly and unthoughtful feeding...

Interesting too: while checking out various material about North Pole Cruising I did not find a single indication about bears being fed likewise... Seems to me that just a few people know about that old tradition!

But let me ask one question: How come that the Russians have started to feed the polar bears with condensed milk in such a carefree way as they have usually been considered as a danger to polar stations and were killed as soon as they approached settlements? (see here although it is not about Chukotka)

I'd just like to find out...

Main source:
-Russian Nuclear Icebreakers to the North Pole/March 2008
-Russian Atomic Icebreakers/article using the same source 31.03.2008

-Belikov/Garner:POLAR BEARS OF THE SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA ARCHIPELAGO OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC/pdf

Related posting: Kondensmilch ist das Geheimnis...Condensed Milk is the Secret Part 1

Photo credits: Svetlana Bogdanovitch, some additional photos I found in an album under the name of HEYRO which I believe are also taken by Svetlana Bogdanovitch as this link opened after clicking her name in the article. Beside the albums " Polar bears & other animals" and "Icebreakers" -including the photos from the article-, you can find a couple of other interesting sets. More about the Northern Sea Route you can find here in English - mehr zur Nordostpassage hier.

Kondensmilch ist das Geheimnis....Condensated Milk Is the Secret...Part1.

This too belongs to Russia and the Arctic....Please find here a series of historical photos which are utterly amazing and show a different side of the topic. First I found long ago just one or two photos like the ones above while googling images. I was never able to put my hands on a source and so I did not post them. Some months ago I had a lucky strain and stumbled on an article with even more photos posted...Just enjoy...

Polar bears being fed condensed milk. Russia, photographer & year unknown. Found here (15.12.2009) and here.


"At the very eastern part of Russia, where lands of the USA and the Russian Federation nearly adjoining each other and only small neck splits these two spacious countries, there are Chukotka peninsula and the Chukotka autonomous district situated.

The place isn’t so populated and we cannot say for sure what kind of inhabitants it has more, people or white bears. It is the same thing as in New York city, we can’t say what it has more – tourists or yellow cabs. The most densely populated city of the region and its capital as well is Anadyr with 11,000 of citizens according to 2002 population census. But just imagine yourself how many residents the city and the region altogether had 50 or 60 years ago when the colonization of the region just began.

The climate is very severe and sometimes weather can be so fierce in winter that the temperature falls 40C degrees below zero (it is the same by Fahrenheit, -40F) so that poor white bears and their children start starving and freezing though they aren’t supposed to freeze with such a jacket of their.

And where do you think they would search for help? Yeah, you are absolutely right, they will go to their next-door neighbors looking for help of any kind. But a man always was just a slab of meat, toy and bait for such a leviathan as white bear.

And beliefs aren’t always so true-to-life. Or may be it is the climate and the Russians with their spirit are responsible for?

People didn’t turn their backs on the poor and starving animals and started to feed them every now and then. Of course you do not have such big amounts of meat at home to feed several white bears. And people decided to feed the bears up with what they had in abundance – tins, or to be more exact, condensed milk.From the immemorial and so far, the usual condensed milk tin looked like that one on the picture. At first people who were striving to help bears opened such a tin with a tin-opener and then gave the can to the she-bear who licked all the milk from tin and then feed her little bears with it.

P.S. And meanwhile Russian chipmunks prefer port wine to condensed milk..."
Text source and photos: Socializing with bears , Giving Food to Polar Bears (Dec 2009) and one photo here

There will be a second part coming as I have found more, unfortunately I have deleted the draft accidentally so it will come not immediately as I have to gather all pieces back together first...