<em>By
Angela Johnson, Keeper, Louisville Zoo, Louisville, KY
and
Josie Romasco, Keeper, Pittsburgh Zoo, Pittsburgh, PA</em>

On Sunday, 4 October 2009 zookeepers from Canada, Denmark, and the United States gathered together for the first time in a hotel in Winnipeg, Canada.  They traveled there to be part of the first “Arctic Ambassador Keeper Leadership Camp” sponsored by Polar Bears International [PBI] and AAZK. Most of us had never met before this day. The following morning we met in the lobby of the hotel, crossed the street to the airport, and boarded an airplane to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. None of us had any idea what to expect on our journey, nor did we realize that this trip would later change our lives forever.
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-900" title="polarbear" src="http://aecetia.net/gws/aazk/wp-content/uploads/polarbear.jpg" alt="polarbear" width="800" height="601" />

<strong>Those attending the Arctic Ambassador Leadership Camp frequently saw polar bears outside their Tundra Buggy™ classroom. </strong>

<strong>(Photo by Josie Romasco)</strong>
Upon arriving in Churchill, we took a tour of the small town of about 850 people on the Tundra Buggy™.  First, we drove to the site of an old landfill that had been turned into a recycling plant. The townspeople of Churchill had found that bears would often feed off the waste materials in the landfill, thus bringing them close to town on a regular basis. So in an effort to reduce their presence, the dumping ground then became a recycling plant. However, while it did serve its purpose by attracting fewer polar bears, a new issue arose: what to do with all of the recyclables!  Quite frankly, it costs too much to take the recycled materials to be processed because of the town’s remote location, and not enough people are buying recycled materials to fit the demand.  Unfortunately, this most likely means that the recycling center will be decommissioned, the landfill will soon return, and so will the hungry polar bears.

Next, we went to a cabin and met local trappers and learned about their livelihoods. These were three individuals who have lived off the land and have the utmost respect for it. To them, nature is all about balance, and as long as they take only what they need, they feel they are sustaining the arctic species. Should they discontinue their ways, from their experience, Mother Nature will take it upon herself to control wildlife populations by spreading disease—leaving valuable fur and meat wasted and unused. At least by trapping in a conscientious manner, every part of the animal is utilized.

We then traveled to D20 that is also known as polar bear “jail.” Jail implies that the bears have done something wrong. Wandering into town, possibly looking for food, while waiting for the ice on the Hudson Bay to freeze in order to hunt is hardly a crime. D20 is a holding facility for polar bears. A Polar Bear Alert Program is in effect in the town of Churchill. There are three main goals of the Polar Bear Alert Program (1) The safety of the people (2) The safety of the bears and (3) Decreasing habituation of the bears to people. When a bear wanders into town for the first time, an effort is made to deter the bear.  Hazing by using loud sounds such as gun fire, will sometimes deter the bears. Bears that will not depart town or bears that continue to come into town are caught in a live trap. The bears are then transported to the holding facility where they will live, having no interaction with……..

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