Have you ever met a polar bear? They’re the fiercest animal on earth, one of the most iconic and one of the most chill – in every possible way. Cate Collins – the lead scientist/science translator – for polar bear tours to Churchill, Manitoba talks with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young about hanging out with polar bears, polar bear mating and the impact of the climate crisis on their habits and habitat. “They are the top of the food chain… and they don’t have too much to be scared of.” – Cate Collins

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Shownotes:

2:20 Meet Cate Collins – polar bear expert.

3:42 The first time she saw a polar bear.

6:15  The bears… they’ve grown accustomed to our face(s). “They are the top of the food chain… and they don’t have too much to be scared of.”

8:38 Buggy love…

9:22 Polar bear jail and how to deal with the prisoners.

15:37 The ins and outs of Polar bear mating.

18:27 On why polar bears are marine mammals and the bears who never leave the ice.

23:00 On the impact of the vanishing ice and the challenges for bears and their babies.

27:15 Polar bear diets – LIPOVORES! Yep, they are fat-eaters.

31:18 “Their paws are like the size of dinner plates… seeing how massive they are is just incredible.”

33:51 Dancer and polar bear celebrities.

44:26 The discovery of a new polar bear population in Greenland – bears adapting to the changing climate.

Skaana podcasts connect you with experts and their thoughts on oceans, eco-ethics and the environment.

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Cate Collins & Polar bear skull

Support Our Guest

• • Cate Collins – official bio at Gold Star Canadian Tours

  • Cate Collins – LinkedIn

Books and classes for sale from Team Skaana

**Amazon links are affiliate links and support our podcast, thanks for clicking!**

• Octopus Ocean by Mark Leiren-Young
• Sharks Forever by Mark Leiren-Young
• Audiobooks by Mark Leiren-Young (Killer Whale Who Changed the World, Orcas Everywhere & Never Shoot a Stampede Queen) on Audible.com
• The Killer Whale Who Changed the World – print and e-book
• The Killer Whale Who Changed the World on Spotify
• Orcas Everywhere on Spotify
• Orcas Everywhere; Orcas of the Salish Sea & Big Whales, Small World 
• Paint the Ocean You Wish to See with Rayne Ellycrys Benu
• The Force of Doubt by Rayne Ellycrys Benu