Would it be possible for every Canadian to own a polar bear?

Hannah Mahoney

Abstract


This paper discusses the common stereotype/fantasy that every Canadian owns and rides a polar bear and whether this would be possible in real life. The paper begins with a background on polar bear range and eating habits, and then goes on to discuss sources of food in Canada. It was assumed only everyone of driving age would own a polar bear, allowing a population of 2.99x107 polar bears. It would take either 9.02x105 cows, 2.3x106 hogs, or 7.4x108 chickens per day to feed that amount of bears. Using cows and chickens as the model animals, the amount of pasture needed to support that much food for a year is calculated to be 4.5x107 km2 for cows, which is larger than the total landmass of Canada, and 2.7x108 km2 for chickens. While the landmass of Canada could support the chickens, due to their waste and pollution, it is concluded that it would not be possible for every Canadian to own a polar bear.


Keywords


Trope; Biology; Environment; Ecosystem; Agriculture; Nutrition; Polar Bear; Canada

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References


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