We're fascinated by them. We put them on our letterhead logos, the decals on our vehicles, even our jeans. We want to know about polar bears not just because they're fascinating, but because they must be managed and protected to ensure their future. Satellite tracking technology is used by the Department of Renewable Resources in the NWT to understand the polar bear population.
Radio collars placed on bears transmit signals to an overhead satellite.
The signals are received and entered into a computer in a Yellowknife laboratory. They tell us that individual bears may roam over 1,000 square kilometres. Hunting quotas Because people in northern communities hunt polar bears, it's also important to establish how many bears each community can harvest every year. Polar bear hunts are valued here not only for their cultural significance but also for their economic benefit. But without hunting limits, the animals could become endangered.