“Hey there’s a bear over there!” said BJ, director of field operations for PBI. That definitely got the attention of all the leadership camp participants. Everyone was so excited about starting the day that none of us realized there was a bear right in front of us.
He was a sub-adult with intense curiosity. We all snapped pictures like crazy while he sauntered around investigating the buggies and people. It was almost like one of our bears had stepped out of their exhibit and into the wild. The expressions and behavior of this bear were just like the ones we see from the bears in our care; self-confident, curious, and playful.
After being convinced to move on with our day, we set out on the buggy in search of other bears and wildlife. Off in the distance another polar bear was spotted. As we got a little closer we realized there was not only an adult bear but two cubs as well! Not wanting to miss the opportunity to view them we got a little closer and then stopped and ate lunch. After lunch the bears were the background for group discussions on climate science and biodiversity. Being in their presence was awe-inspiring and a constant reminder of why we are here and what we strive to achieve.
On the ride back to the lodge we had some time to think about the day’s events. The big realization is this is an amazing opportunity to see bears in the wild. If we do not reduce our carbon footprints, the polar bears will no longer be in the wild, and many people will miss out on this opportunity. We realize the future of the cubs we saw today is in our hands. It can seem like an impossible task to save the polar bears. However, we also saw several bald eagles in the wild today. Seeing them thriving in the wild reminded us that it is possible to bring back an animal on the verge of extinction.
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