A Polar Bear’s Migration Turns to Chaos | Nuisance Bear | The New Yorker Documentary

“Nuisance Bear,” a documentary by Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, follows the chaotic migration of a polar bear as it clashes with the residents of a Canadian town.
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[@Lucysmom26]

I love the way the pick-up truck is shot like it's the predator - that one shot of it on the high bluff with the headlights on is great.

[@moniqueengleman873]

I loved the imagery of the polar bear and the stop 🛑 sign.

[@lisar3944]

Piles and piles of garbage, people following the bear wherever it goes, watching, trying to get photos, "officials" chasing it in helicopters and big trucks til it flees to the safety of the water...and the BEAR is the nuisance animal? Somehow I'm not feeling it.

[@willnmiller]

I believe that's the point ;)

[@addminimal]

It is a sarcastic title. The directors crew knew exactly what they mean. Every detail adds to the story. A great and devastating documentary.

[@paulchristofersen8281]

Exactly!

[@Jay_Force_One]

We’re also wild animals just doing what we do. We’re just as wild as any other animal. Humans find that hard to believe because we’re such an advanced species, we almost seem out of place or like aliens to this planet. But we’re here doing what we were designed to do. It’s not different than animals building a colony in nature, we’re just way more advanced. The bear entered OUR territory.

[@gordonhunter3769]

For those wondering about the fate of this bear and others in the same situation, they are held in the polar bear holding facility, with the least possible human contact, until the ocean freezes over and are then released to disperse over the ice in their normal quest for seals, etc. to sustain them.

[@dianayount2122]

interesting. thx.

[@brendaechols5929]

Yep. I read that.

[@AM-mu2kv]

Free the bear he didn't do it

[@alesanchez87]

Thanks. I honestly got distressed by how abruptly the doc ends.

[@addminimal]

Thanks for the note, still when there are too many of them in this facility what will happen?! I've seen videos of polar bears pushed to extremes and they become cannibalistic. :(I don' t see any light in the tunnel for those magestic creatures, nor 4 the future of the Arctic and the Antarctica. The one in charge, the corporates don't give a... about climate change, so as the consumers :( We are all doomed, but I feel most sorry for the the next generations. A world full of NO real content, no Soul, no Nature is a dead world. :(

[@jenniferlewis1976]

I am now using this piece as an example to my film students of excellence in visual storytelling.

[@couchphotography8861]

Hopefully, you will impress on them that it's a rotten way to live, and the disgusting conditions these poor animals have to put up with. This is yet another view of the downside of wonderful, pristine, super-natural Canada.

[@hongweixu1999]

One of the best short documentaries I've watched.

[@areza15143]

9:08 “where the f*@$ do you want me to go?“

[@mrnalan88]

This is really wonderful, the cinematography is stunning and it’s a truly global piece of art that basically anyone can understand without the need to know any language. Bravo!

[@salutations5749]

I love that too!!

[@johnsmith1474]

It's some few minutes of docu shot at a dump.

[@odie00zero]

Couldn’t agree more. So glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.

[@jguerrero]

We are the problem.

[@rosemarynishikawa2562]

These poor bears, humans are in their territory, not the other way around.

[@joannacotler624]

Makes my heart ache for that bear. Beautiful, proud footag.

[@kplaub]

We are the nuisance. Feel bad for the bear.

[@sk8rMike360]

Right? Nuisance bear? Look at all these morons up in the bears biz- shooting, screeching tires, helicopter "buzzing" the bear.more like Nuisance Human

[@jimchung5710]

Why? Humans aren't allowed to live up in the sub Arctic? The bears would not show nearly the same consideration if a human was caught by them.

[@debbiedisla850]

@@jimchung5710 because it is a polar bear? It thinks humans are out to get them. A lot of humans cause polar bears and many other wild animals to be close to extinction

[@joshgts9675]

​@@jimchung5710They're city boys. Never stepped foot in Northern Canada nor do they know of the populations that have co-existed with Polar Bears for thousands of years. Ignorance.

[@user-jc5jr7cm6m]

Wow!! This was exquisitely done. The absence of superfluous blabbering makes it very powerful.

[@Mimiru88]

THis is what you call visual story telling. Amazing

[@laurasmith2277]

This movie made me sad and gave me anxiety for the bear! The truck following him, the obnoxious photographers, I wonder how they would feel if they were the bear. It sucks for wildlife now. We are encroaching on their territory and they are just trying to survive. It's very depressing 😕

[@susannechakan4939]

I've stopped 1/2 way through because I was crying for the bear. Don't know if I can watch the rest. I know on Svalbard it is illegal to go looking for polar bears and illegal to kill one unless you are in danger and even then there is a huge fine.

[@joshgts9675]

Churchill is a tiny town surrounded by thousands of square kilometers of open wildlife space. These bears are coming into the town and getting to use to humans..the best thing to do is scare them away. Populations have been dealing with this for thousands of years. Before all of us came here. Put your emotions aside for a few minutes and consider not everything done is done with bad intentions.

[@tinatini3940]

I feel sorry for every wild animal because humans want to leave on their territories . How can they migrate if we build everywhere ?!

[@johnsmith1474]

The town is not "in their way" they are drawn to the dump by the smell, and they are opportunists. It's completely wide open spaces they could just go around but they are scavengers. Wake up.

[@dianayount2122]

Churchill, Manitoba is not a new community. Climate changes may have put pressures on the bears in that region to hunt where humans live. Unlike the foxes or raccoons, possums we are used to scavenging in more urban areas, they are so dangerous to the humans.

[@laurafedora5385]

Churchill is a very isolated, small town. The bears clash sometimes, because they hang out there until Hudson Bay freezes over

[@tinatini3940]

@@dianayount2122 well climate change is also humans fault !

[@jimchung5710]

@@tinatini3940 Accelerated climate change is our fault, but the planet has been through many cycles of intense warmth and ice ages. Polar bears had to adapt each time to these natural climate eras.

[@leonardosolismunoz3535]

At 10:24 Polar Bear: I jump scared myself! Ha Ha Ha!

[@jenniferread7093]

I have been here and for those people to be out of their cars near a bear , is just asking to be eaten. These beautiful creatures have been hibernating since May and are very hungry. They have to wait for the ice to form on the bay before they can go hunting seal. With climate change this is happening later and later. We are an intrusion in their world. The good thing is, the people of Churchill are very respectful and caring of their bears.

[@susannechakan4939]

Polar bears do not hibernate. Only pregnant polar bears den. Unlike hibernation, a polar bear's heart rate and temperate do not decrease, this ensures the cubs will stay warm.

[@johnheaney6383]

Never ceases to amaze me of the amount of dumb assess that get out of their vehicles so close to an apex predator!

[@cgm2086]

i'm glad they are doing what they can to discourage the bears without physically harming them. i guess they're doing the best they can, but it's still sad. i guess because the bears wouldn't be going so close to human habitats for food if we didn't mess up their habitat. we'll never learn it seems.

[@NolzySZN]

you dont understand the habitat, churchill is a small town in comparison to the vast land around it, these bears are looking for easy food

[@cgm2086]

@@NolzySZN you're splitting hairs. not much different than what i said. the bears are looking for food there because its 's easier- and why is it easier? would they be be looking there if the town didn't exist. would they be going there if they could find more of their natural diet in the wild?

[@NolzySZN]

@@cgm2086 actually no, the bears are waiting for the ice to freeze over, so they can travel north over the Hudson Bay to the Arctic for hunting

[@cgm2086]

@@NolzySZN even if that's true for that specific area - that doesn't discount the fact that animals come into towns and yards because we have destroyed their habitats all over the world where bears exist. and whether they are waiting for the ice to freeze over or not- are they not still going into areas with humans. either way i am glad that these bears are being treated respectfully.

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

This was amazing seeing this polar bear wandering about and for it got airlifted. Great video and so sad for the bear. You captured this so well :) ~ Anna 👍

[@laurafedora5385]

This community actually does an amazing job coexisting with the bears.

[@kria9119]

But do the bears even manage to migrate when they are chased off like this? If the city continues to grow, what will happen to the bears? This was just disturbing to watch, poor animal

[@johnmackinnon1026]

These bears constantly migrate all the way around the Hudson bay shoreline,..Nobody wants to see a bear get hurt,nor a person.

[@Jr-qo4ls]

Extinction of the species in the “wild” will eventually happen, in part due to human caused global warming and competition with them for places for an ever increasing human population to live.

[@ashdp8485]

We aren’t a city. It’s a population of 800 people who live here. The bears manage just fine.

[@wildblueworld]

14 minutes well spent watching this beautifully done film 👏👏👏👏👏

[@mdottj]

Who ever filmed, directed or edited this…. Amazing!!!🔥🔥

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

I'm stunned to see people outside of their cars to snap selfies with an animal capable of ripping them to shreds in an instant. #obliviousToDanger

[@jimchung5710]

I think the perspective of the shot makes it appear that they are closer than they really are.

[@milzambasith1250]

This feels like a horror movie...for the bear

[@lf3541]

This bothers me in my soul. He just wants to eat. To survive. Like the crows, the fox, the dogs....US. MILLIONS spent. And for what? To further torment these bears who have been here longer that we have. Breaks my heart.

[@lpdirv]

Well, you can volunteer to go to Churchill and get eaten. They are just hanging around till the ice freezes. Happens every year.

[@johnsmith1474]

You are a loon, the animal is wild and it has no need to go to the dump in town where it would just as well eat a kid.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Amen.

[@sixeses]

Nuisance Humans

[@welshieallovertheplace]

I've just booked a week in Churchill at the end of October; I'm keeping a 'healthy fear' as a part of my preparation.

[@cesarrguedezz]

I could watch a full documentary about this. So beautiful and devastating

[@amyf4324]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y53Rk36Nfa58fJo

[@amyf4324]

Check this out. Such a beautiful documentary. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the polar bears, but the footage of what they deal with is incredible too 😊

[@bradgordon8835]

Mankind is "not "the only animal who thinks..but he is the only animal who thinks that he is not an animal 🙄

[@materx7844]

Indeed...

[@vanallen8372]

they should have added a note to inform viewers of the relocation...

[@run369]

Stunning. Beautiful. Spectacular.

[@BonesmenGermany]

Ohne Sprache kann man sich viel mehr auf die Bilder konzentrieren und sie auf sich wirken lassen. Gefällt mir sehr gut.

[@COCKENERGY]

With "chaos" in the title, I was expecting to see a Bear and someone in a Patagonia jacket fighting over the last bag of salmon jerky at Trader Joe's. Very well done regardless.

[@diane9247]

I didn't really expect it to end that way...but I suppose it was inevitable. Very sad. A remarkable record of one bear's story.

[@dianayount2122]

he was moved to a holding facility until the ice freezes over.

[@johnmackinnon1026]

The bear gets a free ride, lands further away, moves on,....

[@jimchung5710]

Why is it a sad ending? The bear lives and is taught a lesson not to come back to town. People mistakenly attribute human emotions to animals, the animals do not see it that way.

[@alesanchez87]

@@jimchung5710 I don't know. I agree they don't see it like we do, but I think animals show emotional capabilities. Maybe they don't experience emotions in the way we've evolved to do, but I wouldn't disqualify them at all.

[@susannechakan4939]

@@alesanchez87 🙏💖

[@Adrielle.]

Cute bear

[@russiansoul5044]

Why does the author use this word “nuisance”? It’s unfair, these bears simply looking for food that is impossible to find in such places because humans everywhere and nothing wild has left😢 The documentary is really good done, but the name of the film I think is wrong.

[@ericcaubo8173]

"Nuisance Bear" is a term wildlife management agencies use for bears that have lost their fear of humans, often resulting in the bear being relocated. I don't think the director was calling the bear a nuisance but instead was showing you the experience of one of these so called "nuisance bears".

[@alphacentauri8083]

Good point but the term nuisance shouldn't be interpreted literally. A nuisance bear or animal is one that has figured out a way for procuring easy meals by associating humans and their surrounding with food. And it's not just scavenging or rummaging through landfills or garbage cans . When people actively feed potentially dangerous wildlife they're also creating a nuisance animal. Same thing happens here in Florida when misguided people feed alligators in our lakes, or scuba diving tours where the operators bait sharks for tourists. When dangerous animals associate people with food it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

[@lilgorgor]

@@alphacentauri8083 what does "bait sharks for tourists" mean?

[@alphacentauri8083]

@@lilgorgor Throw chum or dead fish in the water to attract sharks for the ultimate "shark dive" experience.

[@tpersoage]

This is a superb little piece, cinematography and audio is perfect executed!

[@yurimendez5987]

Well done video. I followed the story beginning to end and I was at all times paying attention.

[@es9438]

well done documentary...... genius

[@rabbitlemon]

This is such a good film - story telling without words.

[@bseffrood]

So glad the EPs and other producers got top credit over the cameramen that actually captured everything.

[@cinnamongirl5410]

"Normal for the spider is chaos to the fly." Morticia Adams

[@Ali-zd4sz]

Amazing film

[@yodayoda1782]

Ok, just my 2 cents, but if they added just a little bit of the polar bear’s pov, I feel this would definitely have the makings of the latest JJ Abrams style horror-suspense flick, the bear being watched and followed, strange metal things chasing it, creatures with sticks that shoot fire, yep

[@xiongpaolee]

Wow, beautiful doc.

[@MAYK1NG]

This should be titled 'Polar Bears Have Nowhere To Live Anymore'.

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Yes! Exactly!

[@jimchung5710]

They have the entire Arctic region to live. The bear is waiting for the ice on Hudson's Bay to freeze so he can travel on it back to his hunting grounds but while he is waiting, he is feeling bored and hungry so gets into trouble in Churchill. Churchill is a tiny town, not the entirety of his world at all. He chose to come to town while other bears ignore it and stay in the wilderness.

[@toriavalentine3668]

Churchill is TINY and bears just happen to wander in sometimes lol next to no one lives in the northern parts of Canada in comparison to the rest. Land is not the issue

[@nikkidarkangelpnope8400]

Polaris are NOT an endangered species and due to protections their population growth is endangering northern populations, even the Inuit have plead with the government to change this as there have been numerous deadly attacks.

[@m0z188]

​@jimchung5710 they should make a bear jail with tall gates but put trees, rocks and water for them to play with. & they can let them free after the bay is frozen.

[@6XXBANSHEEXX8]

‘A Polar Bear’s Migration Turns To Chaos’ - Nuisance Humans I believe this title makes MUCH more sense!!

[@ddM1970]

Beautiful documentary--Beautiful story of a bear

[@costabotes9107]

Great sound design.

[@Tax-Evasion-As-A-Sport]

???

[@Bug66]

Once more human beings causing a problem to these amazing animals...

[@Canadiangander]

This should be called "Nuisance Humans" !! Why build a town on the Bears' migratory Path??

[@brendaechols5929]

I don't know about yall, but this is fascinating!!!!!

[@100brucebrown]

Very Very well done.

[@sathyakd]

Amazing footage and sound effects. Testing time time for the Bears with effects of climate change.

[@khivklara3354]

Poor polar bear 😢

[@realCAMERALERO]

What microphone did you use to gather the sound?

[@user-li9cr1ff7f]

I want to see the inside of the polar bear holding building. Have seen the outside over the decades but never inside.

[@ChefMimsy]

Humans are our dystopian nightmare. We don't need aliens. It's all us. We think we're so smart. We aren't.

[@jimchung5710]

Kind of a strange comment. How is this a dystopian nightmare? There are no victims in this film. In fact humans are the one who deescalated what would have once in the past been a violent interaction with the bear losing each time.

[@kacichristian]

The bears are the victims of human encroachment, loss of habitat, loss of food and climate change caused by humans.

[@quill444]

Here we observe a small child in his native Halloween Habitat 8:36 Does he _throw himself under the bus!?_ No, it's actually a Fire Truck (but still pretty funny). - j q t -

[@elvia3068]

Awww the poor polar bear ran , and ran into the sea....😇 stay safe everyone

[@parkhanyi7037]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[@lilgorgor]

Why build a city in the way of the polar bear migration path?

[@NolzySZN]

its a small town, there since the fur trade, bears are waiting for the ice to freeze so they can hunt in the artic

[@kalamoproductions6268]

Great short film. Great story. However what do they do about the nuisance humans!

[@Capochin950]

What an untidy filthy place.A landscape of destruction and desecration.Shocking .Bear scavenging for food.A disaster waiting to happen. Can’t believe it.

[@anikdasdigital]

Amazing Video. i really like it. Can I talk with you?

[@kellygreenmachine]

They are not an attraction they need food. BE SAFE!

[@bernardlesperance742]

Matter of fact, humans are the greatest nuisance species on the planet. Look what we've done to it . . . and continue to do.

[@zanzibarandgrill6484]

It's not chaos. Here in Manitoba we call it Fall.

[@marketingjones]

You build a town in the path of polar bear migration. You fill your town with garbage dumps and little dogs. Then you call polar bears a nuisance, on one hand lining up fossil-fueled cars to snap their photos, on the other hand using fossil-fueled trucks and helicopters to chase them away. We’re an awful species, and we deserve what happens to us.

[@NolzySZN]

this isnt a new town its coexisted for time....

[@WorkTravelLive]

it is not a nuisance bear, it's just hungry and wander off

[@StrixvariaCraig]

Was anyone else rooting for the bear ?

[@Santouryu3]

The polar bear is in search for Coca-Cola for the cubs... *Mission Failed!*

[@user-li9cr1ff7f]

When training a dog, we say ‘don’t set your dog up for failure’. Meaning, don’t leave food and garbage in easy reach. All the garbage smells sets these bears up for failure. I know the town has done a lot but they need to do more. There never should’ve been a town built in this area.

[@juliebrill8510]

This is sickening. The nuisance, destructive and greedy human population has taken their homes, hunting grounds, peace and quiet. This applies to all wildlife. It's the town residents who clash with and cause their anxiety.

[@navnnavn1226]

Do you own a cat?

[@gjk540]

One has to wonder why the founder of Churchill took a look at the polar bear population and thought it would be a great place to live.

[@cabcalloway674]

The person who wrote the closed captions could do with a bit of a broader vocabulary; everything was "roaring" and every banging sound was a "gunshot", even though we didn't hear an actual gunshot this entire film.

[@user_xkkj5765_rafika]

All what I can see is humans busy with so many phones and too many cameras, in the polar bear environment and way.

[@FINANCE-INVEST-CHANNEL]

С первых минут эпично

[@norcalandrew]

Why must the polar bears be so friendly shaped? 🥲

[@user-hx9nj7fv3r]

I wonder how the polar bears would describe us? I imagine they might use stronger words than nuisance!

[@Akshayaguna77]

It's sad to perceive this

[@mw354]

Humans create the problem, then act like asses dealing with it. This poor bear. I honestly wonder if there’s hope for humanity

[@shwnshts9469]

2:01 why use your selfie came and crane your neck while you're out the shot? Because you're hoping the bear catches a glimpse of another bear in the distance and switches to LFG mode?

[@cndngranma8436]

And you say the bears are a NUISANCE, I say the tourist are, deal with them every year. Tourist alway play brave , and end up getting chased and it's the bear who pays. There are signs all over that community where not to venture in. The Bears always get chased just so photographers could get the shot

[@sheridancoats1877]

0:20-3:26 3:52 2:24-2:26

[@sandymacisaac6357]

Wait! Was the bear killed? 😢🙁

[@jackweisman6647]

No! It's tranquilized and relocated.

[@mfyameen]

Somebody went to Zack Snyder film school 😂

[@c.stemarie2478]

I don't like the title as who is the real nuisance? To me, it is humans and their garbage invading more and more wild territories

[@sk8rMike360]

This is disturbing

[@shraddhaontheglobe]

Nuisance Humans in the bear country.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

🌎👍❤

[@SailorGal7353]

Change the name of the film to "Nuisance Human," and it will be a more reality based documentary.

[@RK-Schlueter]

Yes, but the title provides the irony.

[@galaxy7192]

Einfach, nur krass manche Menschen haben einfach vergessen wie gefährlich so ein Eisbär ist, wer sich selber in gefahr bringt der ist auch selber schuld wenn was passiert, verstehe diese leute nicht einfach nur Verrückt.

[@user-hw6xn2cn8q]

What happens if you feed him?

[@NolzySZN]

he keeps coming back

[@Shaz-gq7pv]

Well bears consider humans as prey and have eaten loads of humans starting to eat them alive so unless your volunteering to be on menu don't feed him

[@tatiagarcia]

Pretty poignant but very good film.

[@sadangelblue]

Be careful polar bear. I love you and you were there first. If people don't want you around they should go somewhere else. People suck they always want land that belongs to someone else.

[@tomdavidson6455]

Finally someone of sound mind ...Thank you!

[@user-hw6xn2cn8q]

А что будет, если его подкармливать?

[@natalyk7280]

Не стоит. Потом сожрёт если не дать еды. Дикие звери не должны питаться подачками. Это унизительно и очень им вредно

[@10percenter1]

human encroachment, ice caps melting, these animals have nowhere to go :(

[@jimchung5710]

There is plenty of empty land up there, go look at an atlas. The problem is that polar bears tend to eat only seals and for that they have to hunt on ice formed over water, and that is shrinking and lasting shorter amounts of time because of climate change. Human encroachment is not an issue as there are very few people living up there. Unless all the ice disappears, the polar bears will just be confined to a smaller area further north of where they are today and of course their numbers will fall.

[@10percenter1]

@@jimchung5710 did you read my comment? I know there is a lot of land. Seriously. Not cool.

[@jimchung5710]

@@10percenter1 I did and I tried to answer your concerns. If you dont know anything about polar bear biology you would think there is plenty of land for them to roam but like I said they need specific biomes to hunt. I was not trying to attack of offend you so what exactly was not cool?

[@10percenter1]

@@jimchung5710 I see. I know they are losing habitat with the melting ice and they have to roam further and further to find food so it’s easier for them to look for food where humans live.

[@crosswordboss]

Put a wall around the town... The amount of time, energy & money on tending to the bears every year is insane!

[@billwatt3775]

3 qq 23

[@bulldogz23]

Why didn’t the bear just show them proof of vaccination so the Canadian government would leave him alone?

[@couchphotography8861]

This government should leave everybody alone, they have no clue!

[@staceywimberley2739]

😂