As Arctic temperatures have warmed, making sea ice and hunting habitat more scarce, polar bears are increasingly venturing into human habitats instead. Polar bears are listed as endangered in Russia and the federal government's environment agency has so far resisted giving permission to shoot the threatening individuals. "I have been on Novaya Zemlya since 1983, but never before has there been such a massive invasion of polar bears,” said education administrator Zhigansha Musin. Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt their prey, but shrinking Arctic ice is increasingly driving them on to land... and into contact with people. Last month a polar bear was shot and killed when it wandered near the Alaskan town of Arctic Village, well beyond the animal's normal range.

Source: Forbes February 09, 2019 22:29 UTC