A clip from “Jailed Polar Bear”, on First Science TV, discusses the unique bond between Brian Ladoon’s dogs and a group of bears. Brian breeds sled dogs and discovered the polar bears were more interested in playing than displaying aggression.
Enjoy!
In 1992 a wildlife photographer Norbert Rosing, who did work for National Geographic and other magazines, was visiting Churchill, Manitoba in Canada and went to see a sled dog kennel owned by breeder Brian Ladoon.
While visiting, a large male polar bear appeared out of nowhere and approached one of the dogs. The dog stayed put and wagged its tail, and the bear and dog began gently touching each others noses and began to play. The two men were shocked. Rosing took out his camera and captured the encounter.
A second polar bear then also appeared and also joined in the play with the dog. For the next week the bears came back and played with the dogs. Then they vanished. Rosing thought that the encounter demonstrated very unusual behavior, given that dogs and bears are natural enemies. It was a one in a million encounter to witness.
