Wolves, bears, and oversized hares

It's not hard to see all the life that surrounds Alert now with 24 hours of sunlight.

About a month ago, I took some people up to see the GAW Lab on a Sunday afternoon, when we got the call to remain where we were because their was a polar bear sighting at one of the buildings by the runway.  That was the first polar bear sighting at Alert in the past two years, so it was pretty exciting.  We only had to stay a couple of minutes as the polar bear went far out onto the ice of the Arctic Ocean.  The next day, at 8 am there was another polar bear at the runway (well the same bear I was told ) and we were all to remain inside the main building.  So unfortunately, I didn't get to see the bear but I did get some pictures from someone who was at the runway once the bear strode off onto the ice.  Apparently it had a neck of around 5 feet and shoulders 6 feet wide, so I wasn't that dissapointed that I didn't get too close..

Interestingly enough,  the day that the bear appeared the wolves were in their pack on a hill by the ocean howling to one another and were later seen with blood on their fur.  No one has seen the whole pack since, only 4 or less at a time.  I don't want to spread any rumours, but you know, it was a very curious situation.  I didn't hear the howling but did see one with blood on it's neck the next day.  

These two were in the cardboard dump's 'sea container' where the trashman does his cardboard burns.  Because of all the grease and perhaps leftover food on the cardboard, this is a very popular spot with the wolves.

 

I guess wolves get stiff and tired too.


This was the most wolves I have seen at one time, there was four of them at the cardboard dump.

This little guy, or apparently a girl, was following an inch behind me on my walk to the gym before I noticed about half way.  She often hangs around the buildings at the base, whereas the other wolves usually stay off towards the cardboard dump and quarry.  It is believed that she has been kicked out of the pack for reasons unknown. . She was actually waiting at our doorstep for us when we returned from the GAW lab today at Polaris Hall (where our office is, picture to the left). 

 On easter weekend, I went on a drive with the traffic tech, Marie-Eve, to suicide peak, which as you can probably assume by the name, is the spot that someone jumped off in the 70s.  Just to make the place more eerie, a wolf howled in the distance.  At first I wasn't sure what it was, but then many wolves started howling at the same time.  It was my first time hearing this, and I was so happy to witness it but was also getting a little spooked that the whole pack might be too close for comfort to me and Marie-Eve.  This lasted for around ten minutes until we got back into the truck. 

And of course, the animal I see on almost a daily basis is the Arctic Hare.  I find them completely adorable and wish I could take one home, but I have a feeling they aren't very easy to pick up.  The fact that they are the only kind of hare that will eat meat also discouraged the idea.
Below is a picture of Matt trying to get as close as he could to the hare.  Unlike the wolves and polar bears, the hares keep their coat snow-white year round.