Gigantic Polar Bears Play with Sled Dogs in a Nerve-wracking Friendship

Polar bears are fearsome predators, but thankfully, most of us will never have to worry about encountering them in the wild. However, a small population of people in Canada actually choose to live right in the heart of polar bear country! And it’s not just the humans who live there — their pets do too, as seen in this fascinating YouTube video of sled dogs and polar bears playing together. But are these two species truly playing together, or are we simply interpreting their behavior as play? Let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on in this video!

Where Polar Bears and Sled Dogs Live as Neighbors

Because polar bears live in the freezing regions of the Arctic, far from most humans, they don’t often run into dogs. However, in Churchill, Manitoba, things are quite different. Often called the “Polar Bear Capital of the World,” Churchill hosts polar bears each summer as they wait for the sea ice to reform in Hudson Bay. The winters here are tough, and the city itself is quite remote, but around 900 people still live in Churchill, and thousands of nature lovers visit each year to see polar bears, beluga whales, and other unique wildlife.

Churchill is also known for its sled dogs, such as the Canadian Eskimo dogs seen in this YouTube video. Inuit and Thule people historically used these dogs as working animals and pets. Canadian Eskimo dogs are a sturdy breed, standing between 20 and 28 inches tall and weighing 40 to 105 pounds.

In comparison, polar bears are much larger, standing 42 to 60 inches tall at the shoulder. And if a male polar bear stands on its hind legs, it can be over 10 feet tall! Female polar bears typically weigh 330 to 650 pounds, while males can weigh 775 to 1,300 pounds or more.

Are Polar Bears Usually Friendly?

Polar bears usually live by themselves, roaming the icy terrain alone in search of food. They are carnivores and mainly eat seals, but they’ll also hunt animals like walruses, birds, and other mammals if they get the chance. They aren’t known for being “friendly” toward other animals. However, they seem to generally ignore ravens and Arctic foxes, and sometimes even let the foxes eat leftovers from their kills.

When there’s a lot of food to go around, such as a whale carcass, several polar bears might gather and tolerate one another while feeding. On occasion, the younger bears have been seen playfighting nearby. During mating season, polar bears temporarily give up their solitary lifestyle to find a partner. Mother polar bears form very close relationships with their cubs and commonly play together. Polar bears also commonly play by themselves.

Do Polar Bears Hunt Dogs?

Since polar bears are opportunistic predators, they can and will hunt dogs. Sadly, there have been occasional incidents of polar bears attacking and eating dogs in Arctic regions, especially sled dogs. This usually happens when the bears get too close to human settlements or when food is hard to find.

However, this YouTube video shows a very unusual situation. Dog breeder Brian Ladoon wanted to breed and raise Canadian Eskimo dogs near Churchill without worrying about polar bear attacks. He found that shooting the bears did not solve the problem, so he decided to try a different approach: leaving food out for the bears. When the local polar bears had enough to eat, they seemed much calmer and more friendly. As the video shows, some even appeared to play with Ladoon’s dogs!

Just like us, animals that have enough food, are healthy, and feel secure are more likely to play. On the other hand, animals that are hungry or stressed usually do not. So, it’s possible that once the polar bears felt safe in their territory and had plenty of easy food, they were more inclined to play with the dogs, whom they would otherwise have seen as something to hunt and eat.

Ladoon’s Unusual Relationship with Polar Bears

For over 20 years, the local polar bears and Ladoon’s dogs coexisted in this unusual but mutually beneficial arrangement; the bears received food, and the dogs were kept safe from attacks. The local bears became so accustomed to the arrangement that they even kept other, more aggressive bears away from the area. Ladoon only lost four dogs to polar bears during that time, either due to accident or once when he forgot to feed the bears.

However, in October 1996, officials removed these local bears from the area. Without these “friendlier” bears around to keep others out, new, more aggressive bears began moving into the area. Even though Ladoon left meat out for these new bears, they ignored it and killed several of his dogs.

The situation between Ladoon’s dogs and the polar bears of Churchill is complicated. Although controversial and highly unconventional, Ladoon managed to create a unique balance between his dogs and the wild polar bears of Manitoba. However, it’s generally not a good idea to feed wild animals (and it is illegal in most places, including Manitoba) because it can change their wild instincts. It often makes them less afraid of humans and more comfortable around people, which can be extremely dangerous for both humans and animals.