October 22, 2007: Polar bear and the husky, version two

A Finnish gent noted Friday's bear/husky play pics, and pointed to this French Arctic expedition gallery, where there is photo documentation of another bear/dog encounter.



In this one, there's no play involved. The dog takes an aggressive, barking approach, seemingly saying "Get out of here! you don't belong here!" Seeing the bear's immense size, the dog knows it's a dangerous situation, but is protecting the pack by trying to shush away the beast.



The bear, meanwhile, acts as if he could not care less about the dog. The big guy is not hungry, but curious; it checks out the camp's equipment, even as the dog is barking furiously. He doesn't even bother to glance at the mutt. He knows he is in no danger from this annoying pest. The dog is a mosquito.

The dog mostly stays a good 15-20 feet away, but runs closer from time to time, as if trying to engage the big beast. The dog knows that the bear is slow-moving, can always be out-run. So each time the bear even slightly turns, the dog backs off rapidly. Until...



...puppy gets a little too close, a little too careless, and the bear sees an opportunity to swat that mosquito.



But the good news is that the last two photos here are named with "close_call", so we can infer that doggy beat a hasty enough retreat to survive the encounter.

A minute of video shows the dynamic differently than the pics do.

Yes first for once, and doesnt the first picture look like the bear is learning to dance?

I think there must be something genetic about it... but to me, a brown bear would clearly be terrifying in person, while I cannot imagine a polar bear as being anything but cute. White == sweet and docile.

I know, intellectually, that a polar bear is a godless killing machine, just like all bears. But I can't make myself believe it. In fact, I can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince myself is frightening.

Clodfobble;398138 wrote:

I think there must be something genetic about it... but to me, a brown bear would clearly be terrifying in person, while I cannot imagine a polar bear as being anything but cute. White == sweet and docile.

I know, intellectually, that a polar bear is a godless killing machine, just like all bears. But I can't make myself believe it. In fact, I can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince myself is frightening.

Like old westerns. The "good guy" always wears the white hat, the "bad guy" wears the black hat.

"Clodfobble" wrote:

I cannot imagine a polar bear as being anything but cute. White == sweet and docile.
...
In fact, I can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince myself is frightening.

Maybe these bears will convince you?



Or maybe this guy who was attacked by one, as he slept in his tent (WARNING - graphic):


;-)

Awwwwwwwwww, lookit the pink bears!

The pink, blood splattered, bears. Aww.

They do still look cute, especially that one on the right with his tongue sticking out. awwww... hungry little bear.


Nice try though.

maximum;398155 wrote:

Or maybe this guy who was attacked by one, as he slept in his tent (WARNING - graphic)

Not a polar bear, but speaking of bears and tents:

Undertoad;398059 wrote:

The dog knows that the bear is slow-moving, can always be out-run.

When being chased or charging prey, polar bears can run as fast as 40 kph (25 mph) for short distances.

more

I have a friend who used to work on the North Slope - he says it's SOP that there is a LARGE rifle (he had a .458 if I remember right) in the truck, and a good pair of binoculars to look around BEFORE you got out of the truck

Heck, not even bears - back in the summer of 1980, I spent a lot of time on a farm in Canada that had a problem with Ferral Dog packs - there was a loaded 30-06 in the truck, and one person on the crew was always on dog watch - carnivores are NOT fun - BTW SOP was if you SAW the dog pack, you put out a warning, and if they were in range of your skill level to hit them, you started shooting

Clodfobble;398138 wrote:

In fact, I can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince myself is frightening.

An anthropologist friend who spent a lot of time in northern Canada told me that polar bears are the most dangerous of all bears; they are the only ones that will deliberately hunt human beings. They are afraid of nothing.

Clodfobble;398138 wrote:

In fact, I can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince myself is frightening.

?

findpolitics;398175 wrote:

They do still look cute, especially that one on the right with his tongue sticking out. awwww... hungry little bear.


Nice try though.

they remind me of my kids on art class day.

monster;398323 wrote:

<img left out>

?

monster, thanks for proving Godwin's law in record time. you lose :p

I thought it was rather slow myself, but thank you. i was quite pleased to squeeze in on the first page. :D

Clodfobble;398138 wrote:

can't think of a single white animal that I can really convince

I dunno. It's possible you're not one of those people who gets creeped out by spiders.

I know I sure as $@*&#! am.

[size=-1](and for good measure: eek!)[/size]

Slight;398327 wrote:

monster, thanks for proving Godwin's law in record time. you lose :p

I don't believe she had an ulterior motive to end the discussion, and so invoke "Quirk's Exception." Your comment proves that out.
Besides, she was right, that wacko *is* scary!

i was at the Bronx Zoo about 3 weeks ago and there a big crowd watching a polar bear play with his toys in his pool and i remember over hearing one old lady say to her friend "they're actually very docile creatures". i didn't have the heart to say "you should ask a seal how docile they are."

Polar bears get huge. That one looks small relative to the dog. Maybe it is a juvenile anyway. Oh, and I didn't even click on that link about the <ugh> spider...glad you didn't post the pic...