Bearskin Poll: The Results

The results are in... and the people have spoken.

After Forces TV reported last week that the price of bearskin hats has risen five-fold in the past seven years, we asked whether you thought they should be made of synthetic fur in future.

Spending on the Canada-sourced caps increased from £31,319 in 2008 to £149,379 in 2015, while the ethics of acquiring the bearskins have also been called into question.

Animal rights campaigners have claimed that a bear is killed for each of the Queen's Guards' caps.

And they're messages that have hit home with the majority of our audience.

The question - "Should Bearskin hats be made of synthetic or real fur?"

The results:

As shown in the diagram, it was a close-run affair - much more so than in some previous Forces TV polls.

But of the over 2,000 responders, it was those in favour of replacing bearskin with synthetic fur who were in the majority.

The MoD has previously indicated that it's open to alternatives to the traditional bearskin hat, but has not carried out any trials since 2007 to find one. 

It did, however, loan a sample bearskin to the Animal Rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to aid its research and development programme on an artificial alternative. The MoD said in a statement: 

"The black bear is culled in large numbers each year by the Canadian authorities because the population is dangerously high.

We only take 100 pelts a year and that is a fraction of the number culled."

"The MoD is not opposed to the use of synthetic materials as an alternative to bearskins, provided such materials meet the requirement for a high-quality product that performs adequately in all weather conditions. Regrettably, a suitable alternative continues to prove elusive."

With no immediate plans to replace the bearskin, this appears to be an issue that won't be going away any time soon.

As ever, keep your eyes on Forces TV, where we'll keep you updated on developments as and when they happen.