POLAR BEARS NEAR BARROW
Although I've seen polar bears while on nursing trips to Kaktovik, I haven't seen one in Barrow yet. The whale remains are taken far out of the village to the point where bears can enjoy them without human contact. This notice came through the North Slope Borough email recently. It was welcome as knowing there are polar bears nearby provides a possible opportunity for people here to see them, but also serves as a reminder to be alert to the danger they pose. https://sp.north-slope.org/Public/Documents/2161/20141203140119.pdf Several friends have told me that they've driven out to see the bears over the past two weeks. They saw a sow with two cubs who seem to be living in one of the cabins at the fish camp beyond the location of the Naval Arctic Research Lab (NARL) and Ilisagvik College and this side of the point. The pups go in and out of the cabin easily but the sow takes some time squeezing through the door not made for someone her size. A male bear has been seen a