Interrupto!

Conan O'Brien chats with Mike, a conservation authority worker from London, Ontario, Canada, who shares his experiences monitoring polar bears, training birds of prey, and guiding in bear country. Their conversation mixes practical details of wildlife management with lighthearted banter about survival instincts and animal behaviors.

Polar Bear Monitoring in the Arctic

Mike describes his role as a polar bear monitor, escorting people across Arctic terrain by helicopter drop-off. Polar bears differ from black bears or grizzlies, which might avoid humans; polar bears are aggressively opportunistic hunters due to scarce food in the cold environment. If they detect a person—"a hamsteak in boots," as Conan puts it—they charge without hesitation.

Protection relies on deterrence. Mike carries non-lethal rubber slugs fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, which sting enough to make a bear "squint its eyes and walk away," like a Clint Eastwood glare. He never fired a lethal round, prioritizing bear conservation alongside human safety. Even panicked clients hiding behind him got a chance to resolve encounters peacefully, often without shots fired. Trips lasted 30-60 days in remote areas with no Wi-Fi, where Mike passed time listening to Conan's podcast and Trailer Park Boys.