“We sent a drone out to scout the ridge,” she said. “We found her.” Elias stiffened. “She was still near the ice cap. Still watching the water. Same ridge you described.” She held out a small monitor.
The footage showed snow, stone and ice—and then the unmistakable form of a massive polar bear, sitting still among the ridges. Ten seconds in, another shape entered the frame. The cub. It waddled, unsteady but determined.