GRAPHIC footage of the first polar bear seen in Iceland in 20 years being shot dead by police has been posted on the internet.

The bear, an adult male weighing around 250kg, was presumed to have swum some 300km from Greenland or from a distant chunk of Arctic ice to Skagafjordur in northern Iceland.

It was planned to sedate the animal and move it back to Greenland but the police decided it was safest to kill the bear immediately.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23813656-23109,00.html

this made me so damn angry when i read it, safer to kill it? Bloody hell.....

Well the bear didn't look like it was going to attack anytime soon. No wonder none have been there for about 20 years!

Why?! Was it too much trouble to bring it back to Greenland?! So instead of giving it a little effort, they just shoot one of the most endangered animals in the world

The poor thing, 300km swim only to end up getting shot by some **** of a cop

Oh I'm sure all of you have crushed insects! That's just the way modern human society has seemed to have developed human life is values above all other forms of life which are totally expendable.

I think this is unfortunate, but I also think that this is something which is likely to never change.

..Easier to kill then to tranquilize and bring back the bear to it's own enviornment...These are people who just don't give a damn about endangered species...

Yep, people are lazy fu**ing bastids. This is why I hate people. So lazy and interested in what is more convenient for them.

PETA are a bunch of crazies, but man I hope they get on their asses!

PETA are a bunch of nonsensical morons who are only in it for themselves and do not have animals interest solely at heart.
much like this gun-toting sub human that shot the bear... it almost reminds me of the southpark ep where they shouted out.. "watch out, he's going to attack" before shooting.

See, I don't understand this. Humans tear down habitats of millions of animals and when one happens to come walking into land that was theirs to begin with, we kill it? It's our fault for impeding on, and destroying their homes to begin with! It would have been very easy to tranqilize this poor bear and transport it back home or to a zoo or whatever, somewhere it would be happy and away from people. We're destroying this world without thinking about the fact that it's not JUST ours! Poor bear! RIP

This is the reason I'm often sympathetic to animals but rarely sympathetic to humans.

I would rant about how terrible the people were to shoot the animal, but i would just be repeating what's already been said.

That's not true. Sure, they're threatened, but your statement is a little over the top. Yes, it's a pity the creature was destroyed, but the polar bear isn't one of the most endangered animals in the world.

On the other hand, with global warming shaping up the way it is and destroying most of their homeland... they're gonna be in a big ****ing mess soon enough.

Some humans = Pathetic excuses for a sub-standard lifeform

And many wonder why I prefer the company of animals.

I prefer the company of animals most of the time as well.

However, certain individual humans are just fine; humanity as a whole...not so much though.

Lets remember Iceland is one of those sick countries that still have a whaling, they have little respect for any form of life other than human.

Words can't accurately describe how heartbreaking this is

It's terrible!!!
What were they thinking?.......

Not to anger anyone, but polar bears behave very differently from other bears. Humans are still on their list of potential preys, unlike other bears, so they can become extremely dangerous.

Though yeah, the decision may have been a bit rash.

PETA will petition to ban a site created as a joke. xD And yes, I'm talking about the bonzai kittens. The idea is kinda sick though, even if it was a joke.

On the other hand, I hope the officer gets in tons of trouble. That poor bear. He was just comin' fer a visit.

And since I didn't quote it:

@Lizardian_guy: Human's aren't off any bears predator list. Not any real big bear, at least. ANY bear is extremely dangerous. However, not ANY bear is endangered.