A Whole New Tundra Exploration Experience
Having given sleigh ride tours to visit elk herd at the National Elk Refuge, I can attest to the fact that wildlife can get used to pretty weird sights such as humans aboard a workhorse-driven sleigh.
While diesel-powered vehicles are decidedly noisy and can be kind of stinky, Burtnick said the bears have gotten used to them. How they react to the electric version remains to be seen. (They’ll have to wait until next season since the bears have already set off on the ice this year.)
“The polar bears are used to the Tundra Buggies,” she said. “It’s a familiar sight. It’s a familiar sound. We are hoping to do some sound studies with our partners. We partner with Polar Bears International as well as the Assiniboine Conservancy, and we might have some opportunities to see how polar bears are going to react to these large vehicles that are silent.”
