Last week, the internet was charmed by a video out of Manitoba, Canada. It showed a massive polar bear gently appearing to “pet” a dog. Headlines declared heartwarming interspecies friendships, suggesting maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be alright. With millions of views, the video painted a picture of unlikely animal tenderness. But is that really the story? And more importantly, when we see these kinds of interactions, should we be asking, “Can I Pet The Dog Bear?”
The Viral Video: Debunking the “Heartwarming” Narrative
While initially captivating, the truth behind the viral clip is less about interspecies affection and more about a dangerous and misunderstood situation. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) investigated the story, revealing that Brian Ladoon, the dog’s owner, was intentionally feeding polar bears that wandered onto his property. This detail drastically changes the interpretation of the bear’s behavior.
The Owner’s Perspective and the Harsh Truth
Ladoon, it turns out, has a history of encouraging interactions between his dogs and polar bears. However, his methods came with severe consequences. He admitted to the CBC that a polar bear had recently killed one of his dogs. The reason? Ladoon had forgotten to feed the bears that night. His own words were stark: “That was the only day we didn’t feed the f—king bears.”
This revelation paints a much darker picture. Instead of a tender moment, the “petting” behavior could be interpreted as the bear being habituated to the presence of dogs due to food rewards, or even assessing a potential meal when food wasn’t readily available.
Dangers for Dogs and Bears
Feeding wild animals to encourage interaction is not only irresponsible but also actively harmful. For dogs, it places them in direct danger from powerful predators like polar bears. Even when bears appear docile, their predatory instincts remain. For the bears, this practice can be equally detrimental. It can reduce their natural hunting behaviors and draw them closer to human settlements, increasing the risk of conflict and potential lethal encounters with humans.
Why We See ‘Petting’: Anthropomorphism Explained
So why were so many people quick to see “petting” and “friendship” in the video? The answer lies in anthropomorphism – our human tendency to project human emotions and intentions onto animals.
Human Empathy vs. Animal Behavior
Humans are naturally empathetic, and we use a “theory of mind” to understand the actions of others. We interpret a scowl as anger, for example, without needing verbal confirmation. However, this ability becomes a trap when applied to animals. We are drawn to features that remind us of ourselves – big eyes, limb movements that resemble gestures (like a bear’s paw on a dog’s head), and apparent intelligence.
The Science Behind Misinterpretation
Psychologists like Kurt Gray and Daniel Wegner, in their book The Mind Club, explain that we are easily fooled by animal traits that mimic human ones. Actions like gaze direction, ear perking, body orientation, and touching seem like reactions we understand. But we can never truly know an animal’s motivations.
In the case of the polar bear, the behavior was likely conditioned. Wildlife biologist Todd Atwood from the Alaska Science Center explains that polar bears are attracted to dog yards by the smell of food. They may become accustomed to dogs if they associate the area with food scraps. As long as food is available, bears might ignore dogs. But when the food source disappears, the risk to dogs dramatically increases. Our interpretation of “petting” is a human construct imposed on a complex animal interaction driven by different, likely survival-based, instincts.
Animal Emotions are Real, But Different
This isn’t to say animals are emotionless robots. There’s growing scientific evidence that mammals, at least, are capable of empathy.
Understanding Animal Empathy
Researchers like James Burkett, a neuroscientist at Emory, acknowledge the challenge of studying animal empathy due to the multiple interpretations of behavior. However, rigorous studies have shown evidence of empathy in animals. Mice, for instance, seem to recognize when another mouse is in pain and offer comfort. Chimpanzees display complex empathy, consoling each other after fights and showing concern for one another.
The Limits of Animal Emotion and Human Projection
While animals possess basic emotions and even empathy, cognitive empathy – the ability to deeply consider another’s feelings and motivations like humans do – is likely unique to us. Neuroscientist Larry Young at Emory University suggests we are on a continuum with animals regarding basic emotional mechanisms.
However, projecting human-level emotions onto animals, especially in situations like the viral video, does a disservice to understanding them. By anthropomorphizing, we miss the nuances of their natural behaviors and the true complexities of their interactions with their environment and other species. So, while the image of a “petting” polar bear is captivating, it’s crucial to look beyond the human interpretation and recognize the reality of wildlife interactions and the potential dangers involved. And to answer the initial question, “Can I pet the dog bear?” – definitively, no. Respecting wildlife means understanding their behavior on their terms, not ours.
