Sanctuary found to escape hunters during summer

A previously unknown polar bear sanctuary has been found in the Arctic by the BBC during the filming of its Operation Iceberg programme.

There was an estimated 20 bears seen on the Peterman Iceberg in Baffin Bay, 50km off the Canadian coast, which contradicts knowledge that all polar bears return to land during the summer months when the sea ice has melted.

It was previously thought that these polar bears moved to Baffin Island, when actually, some spend the summer months surviving on large tabular icebergs off the coast.

Presenter Chris Packham said: "What's there for them is security, and I think they are taking advantage of that. So I think they are living on this iceberg to stay safe, and just wait for the sea ice to come back in."

This is said to be the first time that the bears have been known to live in large numbers on a tabular iceberg out at sea.

The icebergs are thought to provide a sanctuary from human hunting.