Another of Norway’s allegedly protected polar bears was shot and killed Tuesday morning after it attacked a man in the Mohn Bay area of eastern Svalbard. Details remained sketchy but the man survived the attack.
State broadcaster NRK reported that the man and his companion were picked up by a rescue helicopter and brought back to Longyearbyen, around 80 kilometers from where the attack occured in an area popular with visitors riding snowmobiles. It’s also the site of an old hunter’s cabin from 1928.
“We need more information before we can report the chain of events,” local governor Kjestin Askholt told NRK. “There were two people involved and one of them shot and killed the polar bear.” The injured man was taken to the local hospital on Svalbard.
Others visiting the area over the weekend reported several polar bear sightings. “It’s a typical polar bear area,” Askholt said. Local police planned to fly back to Mohnbukta to examine the area where the attack occurred and the bear was shot.
newsinenglish.no staff
