Bears we are currently tracking

Svalbard and the Barents Sea

These are the bears that we are currently tracking on the Svalbard Archipeligo and the Barents Sea. They were all tagged by researchers Magnus Andersen and Jon Aars from the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Flo (N23731)

This female has been captured several times. First in Hornsund in 2003 together with a coy (cub of the year), then again in 2005 in Burgerbukta Hornsund, this time alone.

The cub was recaptured that year and again this year, so it has survived and managed well these years. The female was tagged again last year in Hornsund and also this year when she was given a collar so we can follow her movements.

She has proven to be a local Hornsund bear. This year she was in good condition and was together with two good sized one year old cubs (a 90 kg male and a 78 kg female).

Amala (N23479)

Amala was first captured in the Mohnbukta area in 2000 at an age of 2. Two years later she was found again in the same area, still alone. In 2003 she was located a bit further north, close to Negribreen.

This year she was tagged in the same spot where she was first captured, in Mohnbukta. This year she was together with her two cubs of the year (a 11.25 kg male and a 9.75 kg female).

She obviously is a bear that spends most of her time along the east coast of Spitsbergen, at least in spring time. We will get more information about her movements throughout the rest of the year from the collar she got this year.

Amala was renamed as part of a Canon Europe "name the bears" competition. Her name is pronounced ah-MAL-ah. It is of Arabic origin, and it means "hope".

Bouba Le Blanc (N23831)

Last year this female was captured in Liefdefjorden, North Spitsbergen at an age of 4. She was tagged again this year in a fjord further west, Raudfjorden.

She is now 5 years old, and this year could be the first year for her to mate and go in to a den in late fall.

By following her movements in the months to come we will be able to determine if she has mated, and we may be able to approximately determine the location of her den.

Bouba Le Blanc was named as part of a Canon Europe competition.

Frøya (N23881)

This female was captured for the first time this year on the north coast of Spitsbergen. Our examination of her revealed that she has never nursed cubs before, which means that this could be the first winter that she enters a den to give birth to cubs.

Frøya was named as part of  WWF-Norway competition. Frøya is the goddess for love and fertility in Norse mythology.

Beaufort Sea and northern Alaska

These are the bears that we are currently tracking in northern Alaska and on the Beaufort Sea. They were all tagged by researchers from the US Geological Survey's Alaska Science Centre.

20131

Polar bear 20131 was born in 1983 and first captured in Alaska in 2001 with two cubs of the year. 20131 was recaptured in 2004 in Canada with two cubs of the year  and again in Alaska in 2007 with two yearling cubs.

20354

Polar bear 20354 was born in 1985 and first captured in Alaska in 1992 . She was recaptured in 1999, again in 2000 with two cubs of the year, and in 2007 with two yearling cubs near Barrow, Alaska.

20446

Polar bear 20446 was born without any vestigial pre-molars, the teeth normally pulled for aging, so we do not have an age for her. She was first captured in Alaska during 1998, recaptured in 2006, and again in 2007. She is currently in a maternal den along the Alaskan coast.

20892

Polar bear 20892 was first captured in Alaska in 2007. Her age is currently being determined.