Aurora, Inches, Margaret Madè Photo - If you've ever thought swimming with polar bears was life threatening, dangerous or even downright crazy, think again. The owners of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in Canada have made it a reality. But, there's more to it than meets the eye. Separating visitors from the bears is a 10-inch thick sheet of plexiglass making the experience a safe one. The experience has been made possible to help promote awareness about the amazing animals by allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the giant predators, helping them to gain a better understanding and reduce hunting of the beautiful creatures in the wild. Cochrane Habitat only takes in rescued bears from the wild. The two bears pictured are females, Aurora and Nikita, both of whom came to the habitat as cubs. Former director of the habitat, Gerry Robichaud said, "They came to us as cubs after a tribe told us about them because their mother had been shot by a hunter near Winisk, near the Hudson Bay in the far north." He added, "You do get some very surprised reactions from visitors when they first see the bears and the children in the pool When you're in the water and up by the glass next to these animals it barely seems like there is anything protecting you, when in fact there's a 10-inch thick barrier. "We get various reactions from the children, some of them can't wait to get in the pool and others really don't want to. It's the adults you have to watch out for, some of them jump in still with all their clothes on." Cochrane, ON. 2/10/11.

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  • Photo Details
  • Caption: If you've ever thought swimming with polar bears was life threatening, dangerous or even downright crazy, think again. The owners of Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in Canada have made it a reality. But, there's more to it than meets the eye. Separating visitors from the bears is a 10-inch thick sheet of plexiglass making the experience a safe one. The experience has been made possible to help promote awareness about the amazing animals by allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the giant predators, helping them to gain a better understanding and reduce hunting of the beautiful creatures in the wild. Cochrane Habitat only takes in rescued bears from the wild. The two bears pictured are females, Aurora and Nikita, both of whom came to the habitat as cubs. Former director of the habitat, Gerry Robichaud said, "They came to us as cubs after a tribe told us about them because their mother had been shot by a hunter near Winisk, near the Hudson Bay in the far north." He added, "You do get some very surprised reactions from visitors when they first see the bears and the children in the pool When you're in the water and up by the glass next to these animals it barely seems like there is anything protecting you, when in fact there's a 10-inch thick barrier. "We get various reactions from the children, some of them can't wait to get in the pool and others really don't want to. It's the adults you have to watch out for, some of them jump in still with all their clothes on." Cochrane, ON. 2/10/11.
  • Celebrity:

    Aurora

    ,

    Inches

    ,

    Margaret Madè
  • Event:

    Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat

     February 11, 2011
  • Location: Cochrane, Ontario, Canada
  • Image Number: 4786783
  • Dimensions: 3554x2360 px
  • Photographer: GTCRFOTO
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