Polar bear invasion in Russian Arctic area
MOSCOW: An “invasion” of polar bears has prompted officials to declare a state of emergency in Russia’s Arctic Novaya Zemlya archipelago, local media reported.
The bears had begun gathering near human settlements in the archipelago in the Arkhangelsk region in December, the news agency Tass reported, with at least 52 spotted near the settlement of Belushya Guba.
Between six and 10 bears were permanently on the settlement’s territory and there had been cases of bears attacking people and entering residential buildings and offices, it wrote.
“The people are scared… “They are frightened to leave homes and their daily routines are broken. Parents are afraid to let the children go to school or kindergarten.”
Melting Arctic ice has increasingly caused the animals to migrate further south in search of food on land.