Welcome to Vicki Hodge’s Polar Bear Odyssey Blog.
The Zoological Society of Buffalo, Inc. is an independent, non-profit corporation organized for the establishment, maintenance and operation of the Zoological Gardens;  for the education and recreation of the people and visitors of the Niagara Frontier; for the advancement and encouragement of the science of zoology; for the practice of conservation of the world’s wildlife; and for the exhibition of diverse species of animals from throughout the world.

As stated in the Buffalo Zoo’s mission statement, two of our priorities include participating in the advancement of science and the practice of conservation of wildlife.

Nothing better combines these two goals than what our lead polar bear keeper, Vicki Hodge, is doing RIGHT NOW!

From October 5-9, 2009, Vicki is joining other polar bear keepers and experts from around the country to study polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

Initiated by Polar Bears International (PBI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of polar bears and their habitat through research and education, this research trip is bringing together keepers and scientists as they study the effects of climate change on polar bears.

We invite all of you to stay up-to-date on Vicki’s discoveries by reading her blog, which she’s writing while in the field. You can also read her team’s blog and learn more about PBI by visiting www.polarbearsinternational.org.

After she returns, be sure to also check back for a list of scheduled events that will feature Vicki (and, of course, the Zoo’s two polar bears, Nanuq and Anana!). You’ll be able to meet Vicki and hear what all of us can do—even right here in Western New York--to help save this wonderful species..

Monday 10/5/09:

It has been a very busy day. We started off with an early flight from Winnipeg to Churchill. As we approached Churchill, it was amazing how a hush fell upon all of us as we came in to land.  The landscape itself was awe-inspiring.  From the airport, we got onto a bus and went on a whirlwind tour of the town of Churchill.  Probably the most important stop was the garbage dump.  It sounds crazy, but it’s where the story begins. The dump is what brought the bears to town in the first place.  They have cleaned it up and turned it into a recycling center to reduce the human/bear interactions.  The problem is--it’s not cost effective!!!  Recycling is a great start, but people have to start buying recycled products to make the market work.  We also had a chance to meet with some of the town elders.  They talked to us about their way of life—fur trapping. They have an incredible respect for the earth and nature.  Take only what you need! One of our last stops before leaving town was bear “jail.”  They have been very busy this year. Currently there are 13 bears in holding.  We loaded up the Tundra Buggy around 4:00 p.m. and drove out to the lodge, which will be our home for the next four days. It’s tight, but we are one big family. Tomorrow, we will hopefully see bears!

Tuesday 10/6/09:

Today was the most extraordinary day. After breakfast, we spotted our first polar bear about 400 yards from the lodge. She was far enough away that you could only see her with binoculars. Before we could get a closer look, we had to finish some business. We talked to David Barber, a researcher who is studying sea ice in the Arctic. He told us that the sea ice had changed dramatically over the last 30 years. The thing that hit home the most was that he believes that in the next five years, there will be no year-round sea ice in the Arctic. That is incredibly bad for polar bears. They need the sea ice to find food. The good news is that we can stop the ice from melting, but we have to start to change now. It’s all about the everyday decisions that we make. It’s really pretty easy—all of us just need to reduce our carbon footprint by making choices as easy as turning the heat down 1 or 2 degrees.  It doesn’t take much effort.

Finally, we got out on the Tundra Buggy around 10:30 a.m.  That’s when the amazing part of our day really began.  We saw our first bear, and she was incredible. All of us work with polar bears everyday, but it was the first time we really SAW a polar bear (especially in the wild)!!! Later, we had a major “Aha!” moment. Robert Buchanan, the President of PBI, asked us all to close our eyes as we looked at the bear. He asked us to imagine that we were the last generation to see that bear in the wild. It hit us then, that this is a very real possibility. Can you imagine a world with no polar bears?

Wednesday 10/7/09:

Today we talked with a couple of scientists. One discussed foraging strategies of polar bears. He told us that the polar bears are not adapting to the changing food sources. Their main food is ringed seals. As the sea ice melts, it takes this food source further away from the polar bears.  The second discussion was on biodiversity. Most people probably would not consider the Arctic to be a biodiverse place, but it really is. Just today, we have seen polar bears, ptarmigan, an Arctic hare, a bald eagle, Canada geese, an Arctic fox, a tundra swan, a peregrine falcon and snow bunting. Wow!  We were all just as excited to see each of these species as we were when we saw the first polar bear.

Of course, truly the best part of our day was going out on the Tundra Buggy to view the bears. We drove out onto the tundra and parked near one bear. As we watched her, a second larger bear approached from another direction. The first was unaware of the second bear’s approach. As the second bear got closer, a story unfolded. Life is not easy for these magnificent bears. We watched in awe as the smaller bear realized the second’s proximity. She ran for her life. We all gave a collective sigh when she made her escape. Once again, we were reminded of the delicate balance of life on the tundra. This is an incredible experience.

Thursday 10/8/09:

Today was our last full day on the tundra, and it was a busy day.  We spent the day at the lodge working on a forward action plan to help save the polar bear’s habitat--the sea ice.  That, however, is a discussion for another day. Hopefully, all of you will partner with me in the future to help the polar bears. We certainly have a lot of work to do.

 Probably one of the highlights of the day was talking with a group of fourth graders from a school in Winnipeg. They were doing a lesson on polar bears, and we were able to answer some questions for them live over the Internet.

Last night, a large male polar bear came up to the lodge and spent the night curled up on the slope next to us. Patiently, he lay there and waited.  As I lay in bed, I could watch him from my window, waiting. I woke up several times during the night. He was always there, patiently waiting!

I had breakfast duty this morning. He was still there. Amazingly, he spent the entire day next to the lodge. What was he waiting for? Quietly and patiently, he is waiting for the sea ice to return to the Bay so he can once again go out onto the ice and hunt. His life is forever linked to that ice.

We saw the strangest sight unfold before us in the morning. A stray dog (we all thought it was a wolf until we saw its collar) walked up to the lodge, where our bear lay sleeping. As the dog got close to the bear, he got up. The dog realized finally that he was there and ran for his life. We were afraid the bear would get the dog. It managed to escape. Another close call on the tundra!!! The bear…he went back to waiting.