Photo. Hungry polar bears looking for food. © Stian Jørgensen og Trym Ivar Bergsmo, Norway. Don`t worry. They only eat you once! Use caution and avoid all contact. Do not pitch tents where polar bears usually travel. Always set out tripwire warning flares around campsites.
Despite several warnings shots, the polar bear continued to approach, and there was no way out than shooting it from a short distance. The tourists came from the mini cruise ship Polar, and were on a land excursion when they encountered the polar bear.
In the Norwegian sector of the Arctic there are 3000 protected polar bears, according to researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute - Norsk Polarinstitutt, January 2005.
Svalbard is group of islands located in the northern part of Norway. In addition to the unique wildlife on the islands, there are plenty of other opportunities for exciting adventures. Some of them are winter extreme sport, Northern Light tourism, dog sledging, and well constructed infrastructure for winter sport, snow- and ice festivals.
One of the biggest attractions on Svalbard is the polar bears. The main part of the bears prefers the east coast, but be aware that bears can show up all over the islands, also near settlements.
From 1950 until 1972 there were organised bear hunts for tourists who visited Svalbard. Since then killing them has been illegal, except in self-defence, and there are now about as many bears as people on the islands.
It not necessary with heavy artillery to walk outdoors at Svalbard, but it’s a good idea to take your precautions. Since 1973 five people have been killed by bears. The locals have to carry weapon to protect from the polar bears.
For travellers the best thing is to go with an experienced guide. He or she will always be armed. If you or your company meet a bear, you should have gun with you to shoot warning shots for scaring it away. And just in case it’s highly recommendable to carry a rifle ready to shoot.
In 11 July 2006 a polar bear become chased from the airport. A large, male polar bear came a bit too close and had to be chased off by smoke bombs. The reason for that the bears approach settlements are that they are searching for food. So far there have been no reports about people being eaten by one. Some few have been knocked down without being eaten. The bears just sniffed a bit, and since they didn’t found anything interesting to eat, they just went on.
It always opportunities for suspense thrill at Svalbard, but for your own safety you need to take your precautions. It’s hard to negotiate with polar bear weighting over 400 kg. When you go to Svalbard, you should be aware of that Polar bears are completely protected on Svalbard and must not in any way be approached or disturbed. Keep a safe distance from any bears you may come across, as they are very quick and are known to attack suddenly without warning.
Stein Morten Lund, 3 August 2006
Additional information
Best tour operators on Svalbard are: coming up!
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