Here’s what I think happened. This Polar Bear bear obviously saw the Interspecies Snorgling section of C.O. and decided to investigate his local options.
Tenative at first, the bear wandered over to a pack o’ sled dogs in Canada’s Hudson Bay and approached a Snorglee.
What followed next can only be described as a solid Husky Snorf™.
With one inhalation, the bear was hooked.
The public nomming displays kinda got outta control, drawing the attention of local photographers.
A great romance ensued, complete with chains [The sign of any great romance]
I’m SURE everyone lived happily ever after. Snopes has verified this story, People. So it’s tewtelly for reals. Photos by the fabulous Norbert Rosing.
P.S., Norbert is the same Dude who took this awesome shot, on the cover of his book. Holy Symmetrical Haunch Action!
Awwww… I would love to snorgle a polar bear. I wanna curl up on top of that big fuzzy warm belly fur.
All that bear needs is a cigarette now!
In the second photo, the dog is all, “Dude, WTF?”
Meg, love the chain joke, LOL! Yeah, apparently the polar would come by everyday to play with the dogs while they were there, I think. Isn’t that just neat? I love the last shot the best.
Lucky there was a camera nearby. Cos this was truly inexplicable and rare. I’m told that Polars are actually the meanest and most ravenous bears on Earth. Because they live in ice deserts, basically, they’re on “perma-hungry aggressive” mode–plus they can chase through any conditions with great stamina. So it’s a wow story for several reasons.
one of these pictures was in the new sceientist the other week… i believe it was in response to someone asking if speciies other than humans liked to cuddle
Polar bears are terrifying! But huskies are cuddly. I snorfle mine, too. I actually like the way they smell. I mean, perfume it ain’t, but it’s warm and familiar. Like my SO’s shirt after he’s been wearing it all day.
Sled dogs are incredibly cool dogs, with great personalities. I love to snorgle them, too!
Actually, I do wish I could snorgle a polar bear, but I guess that must remain a dream.
This is actually really bizarre, as polar bears are incredibly territorial and aggressive. It must’ve just eaten or something. Don’t know what the explanation is, but at least we got some Cute out of it, no?
Oh, and sled dogs are most definitely the best.
whoa
YES! Thanks for the shoutout to Canada! But it’s perpetuating the stereotype that we all live in igloos!
I’m staying at a Days Inn right now (alone) and I haven’t seen these two checking in yet.
That is by far the best thing I have seen all day.
Giant posh polar!
Wow! You can even see the friendly reaction in the dog from his tail – from submissive between the legs in the first picture to ploomped up again in the last one! uh-may-zing!
I’ve heard that dogs and bears are related somehow. It is still interesting that these two chose to snuggle instead of going into attack mode. I’m so curious as to what is going on here, especially since the bear turned over into a submissive position! How cute is that!
hurray for Canadian cuteness!! Roly-poly polar bears are tres cute!
I like the fact that Berthaservant felt that he had to tell us he was alone, just to pre-empt the jokes that were sure to follow.
Who doesn’t want to snorgle a Husky? Proof that Husky’s are the sweetest pups evar.
I’m surprised CO didn’t feature this already, this photo set has been circulating for ages! I love it though, especially the story behind it.
Hee hee, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “Snorglee” (referring to the one who is to be snorgled) used here before.
i’m amazed. i am absolutely amazed. wow. supercute.
I did catch this years ago, and I understand the explanation is that sometimes, if certain submissive ‘play’ signals are demonstrated, then interspecies ‘nomming’ will occur. That’s what you see there.
In the summer months when it is not breeding season this happens frequently. Unfortunately, in other times of the year the husky might be lunch or dinner. Great pics.
Wow!! I remember these pics from an issue of National Geographic from the late 80′s or early 90′s about animals at play.
I love these photos! The second one with its ‘head-on-shoulder’ action is really cool. It’s such a trusting pose – either critter could chomp the neck of the other, and yet they cuddle instead. Awwwwwwww! *melts*
okay, i’ve seen these awesome photos (and heard the story of the photog thinking his pupster was gonna be lunch, then he saw this happen instead!) and i thought it was here on CO…
am i hallucinating, or is this a double dip?
either way, it’s classic meg! LOL!!! thanks
snorgleeeee is my new favorite word!
Sorta reminds me of the film Brokeback Mountain somehow. Their love seems so forbidden but natural and well meaning if you get my meaning, well.
“and i think to myself
what a wonderful world…”
indeed, satchmo.
OK fine, but just remember that marriage is defined as one man and one woman. NOT one bear and one dog. This insults the institution of…oh never mind, they’re Canadian. They’re enlightened.
“Husky Snorf”!!!???!!!
(TM) I’ll have one in orange flavor, please.
Totally awesome photos!
Really amazing to read that it was a wild polar bear too considering the reputation they have of being mean as hell.
Very cute pictures! I’d totally do what the bear is doing in pic 2. Just snorfing the heck out of that dog’s neck!
heh
My second fave animal! ^_^
I think this polar bear isn’t aggressive because it’s still a big bebeh. He definitely isn’t full-sized yet.
Aw, these pics do my heart good.
I love love!
And I love the Husky Snorf (TM) but the Husky looks a lot more like an Akita to me.
A bi-polar bear!
Here we are, the two of us together …
Takin’ this crazy chance to be all alone …
We both know that we should not be together …
‘Cause if we’re found out, it could mess up ….
Both our happy homes!
Secret lovers, that’s what we arrrrree…….
to kool
My heart actually flopped over when I saw the shot of the polar on his back exposing belly in (do polar bears HAVE a) play mode?
To DLT: Just yesterday, driving around, I was remembering Satchmo & WW song. It often comes to mind when I’m feeling grateful for some situation that went well in my day. Thanks for bringing the song back into my next day, too!
In the last picture, the polar bear is all:
“Don’t know how it was for you, but the ice moved for me, eh?”
Normally, when a polar exposes his/her belly like that it is to cool down because they are overheating.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-Nyt4Bmi8
I saw this a while ago. In the first picture, not shown here, are the bear and the dog, face to face. I first tought the bear was going to have a little dog treat.
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/audiogallery/soundseen.shtml
LOL at Dub1!!
I still have that issue of National Geographic on my bookcase at work; it is the December 1994 issue. “Animals at Play” is an great article with amazing photos. Who knew that baby elephants wrestle on the ground like kittens?
Oh, they’re exchanging snorgles. Cute!!
I’ll have two of each, please!
Oh, and Mr. Bear has the cutest trousers EVER (at least since that Pomeranian puppy).
as a happy Canadian, I don’t care if people think we all live in Igloo’s
great shots.
the reason the dogs don’t look like huskies is that they are qimmiqs, or Inuit dogs. they’ve lived in the same territory as polar bears for a few thousand years, and apparently over that time the bears and dogs have developed a love affair
http://www.qimmiq.ca/
“ANNNNNND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-EEEEEE-IIIIIIIII WIIIIIIILLLLLLL ALWAYS LOVE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU”
sorry that was my Whitney impression from that lion video
Can we all just curl up in a snuggle nest and go nigh night? I got the bear and the dog! MMMM toasty…
lol, tank!
My dental hygeniest started talking about Christian the lion this morning! He’s everywhere…
oops… “hygienist”
If this is the same one I saw before, there are more pics.
Im not sure if its the same episode though as I dont remember there being a chain on the dog.
Anyway, in the other pics the dog performs a play stance when the bear first walks up, which entices the bear to play, and much gamboling ensues.
Really an awesome scene.
I like the word “gamboling”! Repeat repeat! still, heartwarming.
Yes, dogs and bears ARE related. They both belong to the canid family.
What a sweet series…
Not to be a grump, but his dog was potentially about to get slaughtered and he decided to just take pictures?
JR — nah, he was keeping a close eye. It was pretty clearly play. Bear even kept coming back on a semi-regular basis to hang out with the sled dogs, too, so there were plenty of chances for photos.
Little Beary Foo Foo
Hopping through the tundra.
Comin’ across a sled dog,
And bopping him on the head.
wow, so I’m not the only one who kept that particular issue of Nat’l Geo! mebbe I should scan the pictures from the rest of that article and send them in; most of them are CO worthy. The picture on the cover of the issue is a baby Japanese Macaque carrying a snowball.
Ah, an old favourite! Squee!
Obviously, no one taught the bear not to play with its food…
“You don’t just get on with a polar bear”
“Chains, the sign of a great romance…”
Okay, now we know all about your extracurricular activities, Meg.
its mateing season
i want to “snoogle” too, this is great. life does funny things, and this is one.