Russian scientists 'besieged' by polar bears at a remote Arctic post

[webfact]

Russian scientists 'besieged' by polar bears at a remote Arctic post

Ishaan Tharoor

 

MOSCOW: -- A team of Russian weather experts claim that their station on an ice-covered Arctic isle is "besieged" by polar bears, according to a report by Russian news agency TASS.

 

The five researchers charged with staffing the outpost on Troynoy Island say that there are about 10 adult polar bears as well as cubs circling their base. A female polar bear spends nights perched outside the station's windows, making it dangerous for the scientists to exit. They have reportedly run out of flares and have lost at least one of their dogs to the Arctic creatures.

 

The presence of the polar bears has made carrying out meteorological observations difficult, reports TASS. Russia outlaws killing polar bears, a globally listed endangered species, so scientists in the Arctic are mostly equipped with flares and guns with rubber bullets.

 

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/world/russian-scientists-besieged-by-polar-bears-at-a-remote-arctic-post-20160914-grgcsh.html

 

-- Sydney Morning Herald 2016-09-14

 

[halloween]

Hmmm.......will double glazing stop a polar bear?

[Mosha]

Do Russians taste like Chicken Kiev?

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[Dexlowe]

Hard to sympathize with the Russians. I mean, how much can a polar bear?

[stevenl]

The bears have been chased away and the scientists have been freed.

[Dustdevil]

Should hire Sarah Palin and her gun nut cronies to shoot the bears from helicopters with machine guns.

[halloween]

40 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Should hire Sarah Palin and her gun nut cronies to shoot the bears from helicopters with machine guns.

Can she see them from her house?

[bark]

They should send out one of the least liked scientists. While the bears are eating him; the rest can escape.

[stevenl]

14 minutes ago, bark said:

They should send out one of the least liked scientists. While the bears are eating him; the rest can escape.

Moot, the bears have gone already.

[bark]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Moot, the bears have gone already.

They are hiding behind the snow bank; waiting for them to go out.

[jobsworth]

didn't i read somewhere that polar bears were an endangered species?

[ClutchClark]

If i was living in polar bear habitat I would carry more than flares and rubber bullets.

 

Scientists are sure silly for being such smart guys. Maybe this is an example of book smart vs street smart?

[Scott]

4 hours ago, jobsworth said:

didn't i read somewhere that polar bears were an endangered species?

That is why they can't kill them.  

I would assume that flares and rubber bullets would be enough to send them running. 

[sgtsabai]

Polar bears stalk and will do so for days. Hmm, Russian scientists, and I wonder who else? I vote Polar Bears, go git 'em.