The man, a foreign national, was attacked at a camping site in the pre-dawn hours. “The bear was shot at by people on site and walked towards the airport, which is nearby,” Svalbard Deputy Governor Soelvi Elvedahl said in a statement. Polar bears are a protected species and shooting them is allowed only for self-defence and as a last resort. The islands are seeing increased activity, mainly from tourism and scientific research, and encounters between humans and animals are increasing. In addition, the Arctic ice sheet is shrinking, reducing the amount of space polar bear can roam on.

Source: bd News24 August 28, 2020 09:45 UTC