An exhausted and frail polar bear wandered into a village in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula this week, more than 430 miles away from where it should be, environmental activists said Wednesday.
"Due to climate change, the Arctic is getting warmer, hunting environment gets smaller and less convenient," Greenpeace's Vladimir Chuprov told The Guardian. "The ice is receding, and polar bears look for new ways to survive. And the easiest way is coming to people."
Residents of Tilichiki have been feeding the bear fish, and say it hasn't shown any signs of aggression, Russian media reports. Authorities on the peninsula are working on a plan to get the bear back to the village of Chukotka, and will likely attempt the rescue later this week. As of now, the plan is to sedate the polar bear, and use a helicopter to airlift it back up north.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
At least 800 dead in Afghanistan earthquakespeed read A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central USSpeed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
