How are polar bears tracked?Updated 6 months ago

Historically, polar bears have been tracked primarily using GPS collars built with flexible, synthetic material that sheds water and ice. Collars are designed to stay flexible in cold temperatures, but are strong enough to withstand Arctic marine conditions for at least one year. Inside the collar’s casing, there is a battery and a transmitter that transmits locations to a satellite. All collars are a small fraction of the bear’s weight.

The collars have a release mechanism with an internal clock that researchers can program. Researchers usually set the timer so that the collar will fall off shortly before the batteries are drained and the collar is no longer transmitting. Also, the collars are attached with steel nuts and brass bolts that eventually corrode in a saltwater environment, causing the collar to fall off even if the release mechanism fails. Once they fall off, a GPS location allows researchers to find the collar (if in a retrievable spot), download any stored data, refurbish, and send it out again.

Learn more about how polar bears are tracked through Polar Bears International