The bear that was shot marks the first sighting in Iceland since 2016. Encounters with bears in the country are quite uncommon, with just 600 documented sightings since the ninth century.
Authorities reported on Friday that police shot a rare polar bear spotted near a cabin in a remote community in Iceland, believing it posed a potential threat.
Helgi Jensson, the Chief of Police in Westfjords, informed The Associated Press (AP) that the polar bear was shot on Thursday afternoon in northwestern Iceland after police consulted with the Environment Agency, which declined to relocate the animal.
“This is not a decision we take lightly,” Jensson stated to AP. “However, as shown in the photo, the bear was very close to a summer home where an elderly woman was present.”
Jensson explained that the owner, who was alone, was frightened and had locked herself in upstairs while the bear rummaged through her trash. She managed to reach out to her daughter in Reykjavik via a satellite link, asking for help.
“She remained inside,” Jensson noted, adding that other summer residents had already left the area. “She was aware of the risk.”
According to Anna Sveinsdóttir, the director of scientific collections at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, polar bears are not native to Iceland but occasionally land on the island after drifting on ice floes from Greenland. In recent weeks, many icebergs have been observed off the northern coast.
While polar bear attacks on humans are very rare, a 2017 study published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin indicated that the reduction of sea ice due to global warming has resulted in more hungry bears venturing onto land. This increases the likelihood of conflicts with humans and heightens risks for both parties.
Between 1870 and 2014, there were 73 documented polar bear attacks in Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States, resulting in 20 fatalities and 63 injuries. Notably, 15 of these attacks took place in the last five years of that timeframe.
The bear that was shot on Thursday marked the first sighting in Iceland since 2016. Such sightings are quite uncommon, with only 600 recorded in the country since the ninth century.
Although polar bears are a protected species in Iceland, and it is illegal to kill them at sea, they may be euthanized if they pose a threat to humans or livestock.
Following the arrival of two bears in 2008, a discussion about the management of this endangered species prompted the environment minister to establish a task force to investigate the matter. The task force determined that culling wandering bears was the most appropriate solution.
The group concluded that these nonnative bears presented a danger to both people and livestock, and relocating them to Greenland—approximately 300 kilometers (180 miles) away—was prohibitively expensive. Additionally, they noted that there is a healthy polar bear population in eastern Greenland, which is likely where any wandering bears originated.
The young bear, weighing between 150 and 200 kilograms (300 to 400 pounds), will be transported to the institute for further study. On Friday, scientists collected samples from the bear to analyze.
They will assess for parasites and infections and evaluate its overall physical condition, including the health of its organs and body fat percentage, according to Sveinsdóttir. The bear’s pelt and skull may be preserved for the institute’s collection.
In the meantime, a Coast Guard helicopter conducted a survey of the area where the bear was discovered but did not locate any additional bears, as reported by the police.
After the bear was removed, the woman who initially reported the sighting chose to extend her stay in the village, Jensson mentioned.