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A Town In Russia Has Been Invaded By Polar Bears
The bears have become unafraid of people...and it's causing serious chaos.
Ashley Fike
02.12.19

Novaya Zemlya is a remote island region in Russia and they’ve recently had to declare a state of emergency because of an invasion – of polar bears.

Novaya Zemlya is located in the Arkhangelsk region of northern Russia. It’s an archipelago that is home to around 3,000 residents – and now, more than 50 desperate polar bears.

Climate change has drastically diminished the polar bear’s habitat and now they’ve begun a desperate search for food. Their closest source for food happens to be Belushya Guba – the main town in the remote settlement.

Citizens have now reported approximately 52 polar bears within the town’s proximity.

About six to ten of those bears have been reported in the ‘downtown’ main area of Belushya Guba. Residents have described situations where the polar bears have broken into their homes, accosted them on the streets, and found their way into public buildings.

In the town of Novaya Zemlya, Russia has air force and defense troops stationed. The bears have reportedly been a constant sight in this area as well. Military personnel has said that the polar bears have been known to chase people into their apartments or even enter their homes.

News footage can be viewed in the video below.

In January 2019, a group of buildings that were not in use had to be demolished because a pack of bears had settled in them.

“People are scared, afraid to leave their homes, their daily routines are being broken, and parents are unwilling to let their children go to school or kindergarten,” deputy head of local administration, Alexander Minayev, told the BBC.

Fences are being built around local schools to help ease worries. Parents have been afraid to take their children to school due to the polar bear invasion. People who work in the military area are being escorted to work with special vehicles.

The polar bears have started to become quite comfortable in Novaya Zemlya, making it very difficult to remove them.

Adding to the difficulty of removing them is the fact that they are considered an endangered species. Russian authorities have prohibited the use of deadly force with bears and ‘warning shots’ in the air have become so common that the bears have gotten used to them.

Now, the presence of the polar bears has become so extreme that they’ve had to declare a state of emergency.

“The decision to declare an emergency situation on the territory of Novaya Zemlya from February 9 was taken at a meeting of the commission tasked to prevent emergencies and ensure fire safety,” a press release from local Archangelsk governor stated.

“I’ve been on Novaya Zemlya since 1983 and there’s never been such a mass invasion of polar bears,” the head of the local administration Zhigansha Musin added.

News footage can be viewed in the video below.

An investigation has been launched by both regional and federal officials. The fear is that culling may be their only option.

Sadly, as climate change continues to be an issue, situations like this will only start to become more common. It’s up to us humans to try and help curb the effects and save the environment for animals such as the polar bear.

Watch more about this story in the video below.

What do you think about this situation? Are the authorities acting in everyone’s best interest?

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