|
These
charming pictures were taken by renowned nature photographer Norbert
Rosing whose work has appeared in National Geographic and
other magazines in which Rosing recounts the story of how these
particular photographs came to be taken.
The location was a kennel outside
Churchill
,
Manitoba
owned by dog breeder Brian Ladoon, who kept some 40 Canadian Eskimo sled
dogs there when Rosing visited in 1992. A large polar bear showed up one
day and took an unexpected interest in one of Ladoon's tethered dogs.
The other dogs went crazy as the bear approached, Rosing says, but this
one, named
Hudson
, "calmly stood his ground and began wagging his tail." To
Rosing and Ladoon's surprise, the two "put aside their ancestral
animus," gently touching noses and apparently trying to make
friends.
Just then another large polar bear arrived and advanced toward one of
Ladoon's other dogs, Barren. The latter rolled on his back, then the
pair commenced playing "like two roughhousing kids," Rosing
writes, tumbling around in the snow as he snapped pictures of the
surreal encounter from the safety of his vehicle. The bear returned for
more play sessions every afternoon for 10 days in a row.
The
citizens of a small country town hit hard by Victoria's record
Australian heatwave now know how intense the temperatures really are —
even the native animals are seeking respite.
|
