When we think of polar bears, we automatically picture them in the Arctic, surrounded by snowy and icy landscapes.
This image has been deeply ingrained in our minds that it’s hard to imagine these furry giants in any other environment.
The North experiences changing seasons, too. And as summer arrives, polar bears come out and start having their fun.
Luckily, wildlife and nature photographer Dennis Fast captured these beautiful moments for the world to see.
He was staying in the lodges operated by Churchill Wild in Manitoba, Canada, when he took the incredibly rare images.
In the pictures, the polar bears in Northern Canada’s Hudson Bay are seen rolling around the brightly colored fields of fireweed.
When they’re not in the mood for play, the bears are content just lounging and napping in the pink fields, as if they, too, were savoring the warmth of the summer.
Some of the most adorable shots feature one polar bear with his head poking out a sea of pink flowers!
It’s amazing to see the silly antics they get themselves into once the sun comes out.
Their cute appearance almost makes us forget that they can attack humans when they’re approached the wrong way!
In an interview with Modern Met, Dennis shared why polar bears are his most beloved subjects.
“[I] t’s not just their color that makes them a favorite target of my camera,” he said. “They have a slow, ambling gait as they drift about looking for anything that moves.
It looks like they don’t have a care in the world and that there is nothing they are afraid of. It’s not arrogance, exactly, but a quiet confidence that we often respect in humans, and that translates well to the polar bear.”
Once early autumn arrives, the polar bears will wait for the ice to reform in the bay so they can go back to their winter hunting grounds.
In the meantime, they get the chance to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine and these blossoming fields!
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of this Canadian photographer’s rare shots of polar bears enjoying the summer.
Check out Dennis Fast’s books Princess: A Special Polar Bear, Touch the Arctic, Wapusk: White Bear of the North, and The Land Where the Sky Begins to see more of his brilliant work.