How To Drive A Tundra Buggy
/ by Katie Billing of Polar Bears International
In 2008 I prepped for my tundra expedition by reading Kelsey Eliasson’s book Polar Bears of Churchill. In his book there is a section on how to drive a tundra vehicle. To my surprise, I used his advice to drive a Tundra Buggy with Polar Bear International’s Leadership Camp! (Photo pictured above) When I returned to Churchill with explore.org I kept Mr. Eliasson’s tips in mind while driving the truck through the town of Churchill. You never know when a bear might appear!
The majority of polar bears are used to tundra vehicles because the touring business has been around for quite some time. Many youngsters visit the buggies with their mothers and will return the following years as adults with the same curiosity for the big white trucks. Tundra Buggies make trips during various times of the year and polar bears have grown accustomed to seeing them in their habitat during various seasons.
In order to drive a Tundra Buggy, the most important thing to understand is bear behavior. A vehicle could easily startle a bear and could seem “aggressive.” The best way to avoid making a polar bear uncomfortable is to position the vehicle in the bear’s natural path. This gives the polar bear the choice to approach the vehicle.
Different bears have different personal space bubbles. Sometimes the polar bears spotted in the distance continue on their far away path, but other bears are more curious. Curious bears are likely to show some “buggy love” and jump up on the sides of tundra vehicles to get a closer look at what’s inside (see photograph above). On the 2012 explore.org trip one female juvenile bear couldn’t get enough of our buggy! She would have stayed with us all day if she could! We had to start the engine and slowly inch away so that we could view other bears.
Tundra Buggy drivers also have to be aware of how to approach resting bears. Drivers have to look for three key behaviors:
- Eye contact: Bears are observant and will watch for potential threats without moving a muscle.
- Lifting their head: This is how they get a better view and catch a scent.
- Move a paw: This signal means to stop the vehicle and let the bear decide what to do.
Now you know that driving a tundra vehicle isn’t just a snowy joy ride! It takes lots of patience, safety, observational skills, and the ability to make immediate decisions. I give a lot of credit and respect to those who operate these giant vehicles.
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