Where's Skadi?
August 12, 2005 5:27 PM   Subscribe

Researchers from the WWF have tracked a tagged polar bear swimming at least 74 km in just one day, and "maybe up to 100 km, providing the first conclusive proof the bears can cover such giant distances in the water." And now you too can track the location of the tagged long-distance-swimming bear, named Skadi, by checking out her WWF Polar Bear Tracker. If Skadi is boring you, however, why not check out the tracker for the WWF's other tagged bear, Borealis?
posted by Effigy2000 (11 comments total)
 
It's truly fascinating that we can now follow the movements of these magnificent creatures, and even more amazing that thanks to the WWF and their partners in this endeavour, the Norweigan Polar Bear Institute, we now have conclusive proof of how far these bears can swim in just one day.

That said, I wonder how long it'll be until these guys learn about it, thus potentially solving another one of Lost's many mysteries. :P
posted by Effigy2000 at 5:34 PM on August 12, 2005


Hulk Hogan?
posted by Mach3avelli at 5:44 PM on August 12, 2005


The World Wrestling Federation?
posted by johnj at 6:36 PM on August 12, 2005


Le sigh. Whatcha gonna do when Mefites run wild on you? Post another link to the WWF (not the wrestling WWF) and what the initials WWF stand for.
posted by Effigy2000 at 6:43 PM on August 12, 2005


Mine was a joke, I think johnj's was serious.
posted by Mach3avelli at 6:44 PM on August 12, 2005


WTF? If they tagged him, doesn't he have to get back into the ring?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:27 PM on August 12, 2005


Those pandas are fuckers dude. They've ALWAYS got steel chairs under the ring. And I swear that one had a roll of quarters in the band of his tights...
posted by stenseng at 11:25 PM on August 12, 2005


it seems as if the wrestling jokers don't know their shit, because the World Wrestling Federation has been World Wrestling Entertainment since they lost a lawsuit to the World Wildlife Fund.

but you know, don't let reality prevent you from making meaningless, dated jokes.
posted by Hat Maui at 12:21 AM on August 13, 2005


i guess it explains why that polar bear was running round the island in Lost that the guy shot with that other guys gun
posted by 13twelve at 4:16 AM on August 13, 2005


Since we announced our competition to name the two new bears we've been tracking with the help of the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), we have now lost track of them!

Are these the two polar bears referenced in the FPP? Because I'm not seeing any other information about any bear's location.
But following wildlife movements in real time on the Net is a cool idea.
posted by NorthernLite at 10:29 AM on August 13, 2005


They have a built-in lifejacket. The white (translucent) hairs in polar bear fur are hollow and air-filled for insulation and buoyancy:

This fur provides excellent insulation from the cold, even when they are swimming in the Arctic Ocean. The outer guard hairs form a layer that protects the inner fur from getting wet when the polar bear is in the ocean. These guard hairs are hollow and filled with air. Thus, they always have a layer of trapped air surrounding their bodies.

The skin underneath their fur is black to absorb sunlight. More info and images here and here.
posted by cenoxo at 12:38 PM on August 13, 2005


« Older Praying for Dinner   |   More Violence in Sri Lanka Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments