Russian islands declare emergency after mass invasion of polar bears [View all]

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Experts deployed to remove dozens of hungry bears besieging Novaya Zemlya

Russian environmental authorities have deployed a team of specialists to a remote Arctic region to sedate and remove dozens of hungry polar bears that have besieged the people living there.

The move came after officials in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, with a population of about 3,000 people, appealed for help.

“There’s never been such a mass invasion of polar bears,” said Zhigansha Musin, the head of the local administration. “They have literally been chasing people.”

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Other footage shows the polar bears feeding on rubbish at a local dump. Attempts to scare off the polar bears using car horns and dogs have all failed, the Tass news agency said.

Russia classes polar bears as an endangered species and shooting them is prohibited by law. Officials warn, however, that a cull may be necessary to ensure the safety of the local population, if attempts to remove the animals fail.


More: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/11/russian-islands-emergency-mass-invasion-polar-bears-novaya-zemlya


Polar bears invade Russian islands

Dozens of hungry polar bears have invaded the remote Artic region of Novaya Zemlya, leading authorities to declare an emergency. 'There’s never been such a mass invasion of polar bears,' said Zhigansha Musin, the head of the local administration. 'They have literally been chasing people.' A team of specialists has now been sent to sedate and remove the bears.