“Bear-dar Radar: New Tech Detects Polar Bears to Enhance Safety”

Inuit have traditionally relied on their observational skills to spot polar bears. Polar Bears International has collaborated with a military technology developer to create a radar system called “bear-dar” that can detect moving objects like polar bears and alert communities. The system, installed at the Eureka weather station in Nunavut, is aimed at enhancing staff safety by notifying them of polar bear presence. The technology, developed in Churchill, Man., uses artificial intelligence to distinguish polar bears from other objects and is continuously improving. Communities in Svalbard are interested in testing the system to protect against polar bear encounters. Polar Bear International ambassador Hilde Fålun Strøm, who has seen the impact of climate change pushing polar bears closer to human settlements, believes the bear-dar could help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. However, the cost of the technology is a consideration, with the base model priced at $60,000. Despite the expense, the potential of visual detection software offers communities a valuable tool for wildlife management.