A polar bear injured a tourist from France in Norway’s Spitsbergen archipelago and was subsequently killed. The bear entered a tent camp in the morning and injured the woman’s arm, according to a statement on the Svalbard governor’s website on Monday.
The governor said the woman’s injuries were not life-threatening. The animal was eventually chased away with shots. The bear was reportedly injured so badly that he had to be killed.
The woman was part of a group of 25 tourists staying in tents in the northern part of Isfjorden. She was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on Spitsbergen. The archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean.
Climate change promotes bear attacks
Due to the climate catastrophe and the accompanying disappearing ice in the Arctic, polar bears are increasingly forced to invade human settlements. As a result, the number of people attacked by bears has skyrocketed.
Over the past 150 years, an average of eight to nine people per decade have been the victims of such bear attacks, with 15 people being attacked between 2010 and 2014 alone. However, compared to other bear species, such as black and brown bears, attacks by the white relatives are still relatively rare.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
