The Newshound

AI 'DOORBELL cameras' are being trialled in Churchill, Canada, to warn residents and businesses of approaching polar bears

A polar bear like those now gathering near Churchill, Canada, where Polar Bears International's AI camera system alerts residents to approaching bears during the annual seasonal gathering.
A polar bear like those now gathering near Churchill, Canada, where Polar Bears International's AI camera system alerts residents to approaching bears during the annual seasonal gathering.

The Bear-vision system, developed by conservation charity Polar Bears International, uses AI to spot polar bears across the surrounding Arctic landscape, then sends warnings to nearby homes and businesses — an advance on the earlier Bear-dar radar technology. Because climate-driven ice loss has pushed back the freezing of Hudson Bay, where the bears hunt seals, Churchill's polar bears are now remaining on land for roughly a month more than previous generations did.

The trial is based at a waste facility in Churchill, Manitoba, that burned down in 2024; with bears now picking through the resulting rubbish, authorities are worried about dangerous habituation.

Polar Bears International and Brigham Young University are also testing drones and ultrasonic sound as non-lethal ways to move bears safely away from communities.

Thousands of tourists descend on Churchill each autumn to watch the bears gather, with Polar Bear Week 2026 set to kick off on Sunday.

MoreMetroScientists try new way to tackle rising human encounters with polar bearsThe IndependentHow AI can reduce growing risk of human encounters with polar bears - The IndependentNationalWorldNew AI doorbell cameras could alert residents to approaching polar bears - NationalWorldYahooExperts test doorbell cams to detect approaching polar bears - YahooThe IndependentThe AI-powered tech designed to reduce dangerous polar bear encounters
Read today's full feed at The Newshound →