Nature & Environment

Russian scientists under siege by polar bears

By T.K. Randall
September 14, 2016 ·  5 comments

The hungry bears have stopped the scientists from going outside. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Alan D. Wilson As if it wasn't already difficult enough working in sub-zero temperatures at a remote Arctic base, the five meteorologists currently stationed on Troynoy Island off the coast of Siberia have been unable to go outside at all for weeks due to the local wildlife.

In Russia it is actually illegal to kill polar bears so the only way the team can deal with them is to scare them away using flares and rubber bullets - both of which they have already run out of.Some of the bears have even taken to sleeping outside the facility's windows which has made it impossible for the researchers to venture out of the building at all.

The weather bureau in Arkhangelsk, which is about 1,200 miles away, is sending an aircraft with replacement flares and other supplies however it is likely to take them a week to get there.

"The bears live in the Arctic, you know - we can't ban them from hanging around," said station supervisor Vasily Shevchenko. "Worst case, the station chief has a gun."

Source: NBC News | Comments (5)

Tags: Polar Bear