Today has been quite the day for bears.
This video, which comes to us from the splendid people over at LiveScience features Tasul, a polar bear living in Oregon. Tasul was recently given a collar with a GoPro camera attached to it to give viewers a Polar Bear’s Point of view. The camera also will be able to digitally record Tasul’s movements and other behavior so scientists can come to a greater understanding of these badass creatures.
These collars are being used to track polar bears in the wild and have shown had some discouraging results, as it seems that a lot of polar bears are being displaced from their natural habitats.
“Our research shows that polar bears are being displaced from sea ice habitats they formerly used,” Anthony Pagano, a wildlife biologist with the USGS Alaska Science Center leading this study. “This collaborative project with the Oregon Zoo will help us understand the implications between going to land or staying with the ice as it retreats hundreds of kilometers north into the Arctic Basin.”
Tasul got used to different types of neckwear before it donned the real collar, which has allowed keepers to get a bear’s-eye view through the video footage. Amy Cutting, Oregon Zoo curator, called Tasul the “perfect candidate” for the study.
“She doesn’t mind wearing the collar and actively cooperates,” Cutting said in a statement. “There’s a lot we need to learn about how climatechange is affecting polar bears, so it’s very rewarding
to see Tasul offering researchers a chance to study this threatened species in a new way.”
