Thursday

Polar Bear Sleds...and Their Sled Dogs


I do have a thing for Polar bears. 

They look so furry and white...like the bear pulling the sled below. 



Visitor North by Duncan Robert

Or this cuddly and tame-looking bear...

toosox @ deviantart.com


But if I'M going to ride in a sled pulled by bears, I want it to look impressive, like the bears pulling the White Witch's sled in Narnia.

Illustration by the Justin Sweet




That's more like it...bears with teeth!  

But that harness....it looks like the bears will slip it off over their heads any minute. A thought as scary as that woman's hair!

Maybe riding a Polar bear would be better, like the girl in the Golden Compass:


Cool ride...but also, Brrrr!

Maybe I'd want to ride my polar bear in a warmer setting. Like in a Western?


Much warmer...but the saddle just isn't as fun as real polar bear armor!

But when it comes to Polar bears and being transported by them, my all-time favorite vision is the one below:

Illustration by the great Frank Frazetta


Oh yes.  Bears with no visible harnesses 'pulling' a medieval... uh....snowmobile?  I guess if the bears get too fractious, the armored guy can just fire up the engine and take off without them!

Seriously though, Polar bears can't be tamed enough to pull a sled; they're much too unpredictable. And around dogs...well, you'd normally have to watch out; bears and dogs do NOT get along.  

                                                                   Illustration by the great Greg Manchess

But in one single spot on earth....that's not true.

Check out the first photo on this page, and the following video, of wild Polar bears actually playing with sled dogs...it's amazing!



So, what's your preferred way to ride a Polar bear?



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love it! :) Sooooo cute!

Jim said...

Unbelievable they seem so tame yet wild.

I Spy Animals said...

Yes...but I wouldn't go near them!

Anonymous said...

I'm playing the White Witch in a play - I am SO demanding a polar bear sled! :)

entertainment said...

Marvelous. Just Amazing. Nice Video. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Who is the artist and what is the name of the polar bear pulling the kids in the sled painting?

albina N muro said...

Polar bears have huge and stout feet. By using their big feet, they can easily swim the icy waters of their homes. They use their front paws to swim forward and back paws to alter the direction. They can walk across the snow using their claws. It helps them to walk without sliding and slipping More hints.