I've heard that global warming is melting their natural habitat and that polar bears are turning up in strange places, but I never expected it would come to this -- bears abandoning the arctic ice cap in favor of shopping malls.
I spotted them in early November at the Karlovo namesti center where they seem to have taken up residence in the atrium. There are four of them, a mother and three cubs (which is odd, as cubs are usually born in December and January) and they seem to spend the bulk of their day grouped around the massive, fake Christmas tree that I assume reminds them of their beloved remnant boreal forest. It's also within easy walking distance of the bankomat.
Polar bears hibernate all summer, eating nothing, only to emerge in late October ready for dinner. They like to eat ring seals but I say good luck finding any in the Karlovo namesti center -- the seafood section in that Delvita is a joke.
I haven't heard any reports of them eating unsuspecting Droxi shoppers yet, but I don't take any chances myself. I avoid all eye contact -- polar bears take it as a sign of aggression. So, for that matter, does the chick at the Droxi check-out, but that's another post for another day.
I'm thinking I may get a short Discovery channel documentary out of this, or an article for a learned nature journal, or at least a good story to tell the next time I'm back in Canada, wandering around the tundra. In the meantime, here's a quick sketch I was able to make of them today, as they remained oddly motionless for over 15 minutes, out of hunger, I imagine.
2 comments:
i think stepan needs to get back to his fox news broadcasts, or at least sleep a little later, for christ's sake.
on the contrary, i think stepan's comments are to the point. i can't believe i forgot our old bureau chief's penchant for ring seals. that's the sort of detail you'd expect to remember forever.
Post a Comment