AI-powered cameras aim to warn of approaching polar bears near Churchill

Conservation organization Polar Bears International is developing an AI-powered smart camera system, designed to detect approaching polar bears and warn people in time. The project is called Bear-vision and features in Polar Bear Week, taking place from November 1 to 7, 2026.

According to the organization's October 30 statement, the first system is being deployed this autumn near a waste management facility in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The collected data will help train the cameras to send alerts when a bear is detected. The system is therefore still under development and testing rather than already operating as a fully mature public service.

Technology to help people and wildlife coexist

Bear-vision builds on experience with Bear-dar, a radar-based polar bear detection system. The new approach uses more affordable camera equipment that can be combined with shorter-range radar if needed. The aim is to reduce unexpected encounters between people and bears, particularly where polar bears gather while waiting for sea ice to form.

The organization is also testing other non-lethal preventive measures, including drone trials in cooperation with researchers and local services. The focus is on early warnings and safer separation, rather than capturing the animals.

Photo: Bob Brewer / Unsplash — illustrative photo of a polar bear, not of the Bear-vision system and not taken in Churchill.

Sources: Polar Bears International, October 30, 2026; Bulgarian National Television, November 2, 2026.