Churchill, Manitoba (Northern Canada) patrol captured two polar bears seen in a residential area. The bears were successfully tranquilized before being transferred to the town's Polar Bear Holding Facility affectionally called "Polar Bear Jail" where the bears are isolated until they can be relocated to an unpopulated area.
Before the facility was established in 1982, polar bears which were considered dangerous were shot. The facility currently has 28 cells that can hold the bears from two to 30 days. "Repeat offenders' are held the longest based on a premise that extended captivity would create a sense of danger for the bears so that they will be reluctant to approach the town. The bears are not fed during the captivity. Since the bears' natural life cycle involves long periods of fasting, their bodies are adapted to going without food for an extended period of time. During the cold months when the ice in the Hudson Bay has set, the bears are released. They are tranquilized again and transported by helicopter far from the town, hopefully not to be seen again.
