Collar Footage

Images from polar bear collar cameras document activity through the summer season, and inform a new research study by USGS and Washington State University. Polar bears exhibited a wide range of behavioral responses while on land from resting 98% of the time to travelling up to 330 km (205 miles) over 3 weeks and spending up to 40% of their time foraging on berries. Ultimately, all the bears, except one individual who found a marine mammal carcass on land, lost about 1 kg (2.2 lbs) per day on average, which highlights that none of these behavior strategies were beneficial for extending the period in which polar bears can survive on land. Credit: Video: USGS / Washington State University