Canada tests ‘Bear-vision’ doorbell cameras to detect approaching polar bears

Image Credit: Alan Wilson/WikipediaResearchers are testing Bear-vision cameras to warn communities in Canada about approaching polar bears. Conservation charity Polar Bears International is developing Bear-vision, a warning system built on security camera technology that can be paired with shorter-range radar. Its first deployment is planned at Churchill’s waste facility this autumn to help monitor bears and reduce surprise encounters, the organisation’ noted in a blog post.The camera is intended to offer a more affordable, easy-to-use alternative to wide-area radar systems. Researchers will use data gathered at the site to train it to recognise polar bears and send notifications when they appear. The project comes as bears gather along Hudson Bay, waiting for sea ice to return so they can hunt seals, while communities work to keep people and wildlife safely apart.How will Bear-vision workBear-vision builds on the organisation’s earlier Bear-dar detection work. While Bear-dar monitors wider areas using radar, the new system uses smart security camera technology and can incorporate shorter-range radar.​Polar Bears International compares the intended function to a doorbell camera that alerts residents when a polar bear is outside. The Churchill deployment will help researchers gather the information needed to train the notification system.Why is Churchill’s waste facility the first locationChurchill began working with Polar Bears International to keep bears out of its dump after a fire destroyed its waste facilities. Garbage can attract bears looking for food, creating risks for both the animals and people nearby.The response includes new electric fences, Bear-dar and Bear-vision monitoring, and a visit by a Churchill delegation to a waste management facility in Greenland. The camera trial is part of a broader effort to manage the site, not replace physical barriers or other measures.Why are bears spending longer near communitiesPolar Bears International says climate-driven sea ice loss leaves bears waiting on land about a month longer than their grandparents did. The ice-free period around Hudson Bay now lasts three to four weeks longer than in the 1980s, placing additional strain on their stored fat reserves.The organisation says these longer periods ashore make coexistence measures increasingly important. Its Polar Bear Week, running November 1–7, coincides with the seasonal gathering near Churchill.What other tools are researchers testingPolar Bears International and Brigham Young University are also working with Churchill’s Polar Bear Alert Program to test drones as an affordable, non-lethal way to move bears away from communities. That separate deterrent project includes ultrasonic sound, conductive materials and a new odour-based bear spray formula.​“It’s not easy to live with large predators as your neighbours, so we’re investing in coexistence approaches, especially as we see climate change causing more human-bear encounters. By developing and field-testing innovative, non-lethal deterrents like drones and detection tech like Bear-vision, we’re hoping to expand the variety of safe, effective, and affordable coexistence tools available to communities,” said Geoff York, Polar Bears International’s vice president of science and policy.​​