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These gorgeous photographs of polar bears<\/a> were all taken in Wapusk National Park\u00a0by Daisy Gilardini,<\/a> a conservation photographer who specializes in the Polar Regions, with a particular emphasis on Antarctic wildlife and North American bears.<\/span><\/p>\n Wapusk<\/i> means \u2018white bear\u2019 in the local Cree language. Established in 1996, the national park protects 11,475km2 and extends around Hudson Bay through a transitional region of boreal forest and subarctic tundra. It\u2019s an incredibly rich habitat for both resident and migratory species, home to Arctic foxes and hares, wolves, caribou<\/a> and wolverines, alongside more than 200 bird species. However, with global temperatures rising, the future of this snowy kingdom remains uncertain.<\/span><\/p>\n Having spent the summer fasting on land, a polar bear (above<\/em>) waits for the sea-ice to form so it can return to its usual business of hunting seals. Polar bears lead largely solitary lives, but in October and November they congregate on the shores of Hudson Bay as the deep freeze gets underway.<\/span><\/p>\n Daisy is from Switzerland originally, and is now based in Vancouver, Canada. She took the majority of these shots in Wapusk\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAbout Daisy Gilardini<\/h2>\n