The plight of polar bears

Hungry polar bears trap meteorologists

A team of Arctic meteorologists working in a remote corner of Russia have been besieged by polar bears for almost a week.

Five of the polar bears in the region have been getting dangerously close to staff at the station.   Photo: WWF Russia

Radio NZ,
3 September, 2015

The team has been unable to take daily sea readings after fights broke out over food between the bears who settled near the Fyodorov weather station, on Vaygach island in Russia's far north.

The team failed to scare the bears off with flares and have no other weapons at the station.

The Fyodorov weather station, on Vaygach island

Photo: WWF Russia

The Russian government has pledged help, the WWF conservation group said.

Polar bears in Russia live all along the Arctic coast from Murmansk in the west to Chukotka in the east.

Scientists have observed a gradual rise in bear attacks on humans in recent years.