Kayi

Little did I know back in 2019 that this would be the last polar bear I laid eyes on for two years! North winds were ripping off the shores of the world-famous Hudson Bay at speeds upwards of 80 km/h, the temperature had dropped to about thirty Celsius below zero. I stayed on this bear for almost eight hours, as we both hunkered down in the stormy conditions. The snow was piling up on the sleeping bear to the point that all you could really see were its ears and some of the bear’s nose. I knew that if I was patient enough, the bear would eventually stand up and give itself a shake, ridding itself of the snow covering its fur. The shake, combined with the wind, made for a truly unique looking image of a polar bear in a snowstorm! I eventually left the sleeping bear as darkness started to fall. As I previously mentioned, little did I know at the moment that a pandemic was around the corner and three hundred and sixty-six days would pass before I would find myself face to face with another polar bear. I often wonder to myself at the end of these encounters, with the animals I love so much – ‘is this the last time we meet’? One never knows what the future holds for us. I never take a moment in the wild for granted and soak up all these special moments to create lasting memories.