Bear Essentials

Of the world’s 20–25,000 polar bears, an estimated 60 to 80 percent of them live in Canada. The best place to come face-to-face with the majestic beasts is Churchill, Manitoba, the unofficial polar bear capital of the world. The prime time to see the bears is in October and November as they move from their summer home on the tundra back to the pack ice that forms over Hudson Bay—plan on making reservations far in advance if you want to join a tundra tour in the fall. It’s also possible to spot polar bears in winter, at Wapusk National Park with the world’s largest known concentration of polar bear maternity dens. Few encounters with nature are more memorable than seeing a polar bear mother and her young cub emerging from their den.

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