Another day on the job took an unexpected turn for the worse when five polar bears trapped a team of meteorologists in Russia. After a fight broke out over food among the bears, the animals settled in the fields outside the Fyodorv weather station on Vaygach island, preventing the meteorologists from voyaging outside to carry out their research, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
THE TEAM ATTEMPTED TO SCARE THE BEARS
The team, consisting of two meteorologists and an engineer, attempted to scare the bears using flares from a distance. The bears, however, remained unfazed. Currently, the team of meteorologists has no other means of warding off the bears. The weather station does not have a perimeter fence to protect itself, so the team remains trapped in that area. For now, keeping a safe distance from the bears is one way of ensuring their safety.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
WWF said the team is now waiting for Russian officials to bring them more substantial protection against the bears. What remains unclear is when the help will arrive and in what form.
ARCTIC PEOPLES MUST BE MORE PREPARED FOR POLAR BEARS
Polar bears in Russia live along the Arctic coast from Murmansk in the west to Chukotka in the east. “People living in the Arctic must be prepared to face a polar bear, “ said Viktor Nikiforov, the WWF Polar Bear Patrol program manager, in the statement. “However, the station staff have no weapons.”
HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF FROM BEARS
With global warming and polar ice caps melting, polar bears are deprived of their ice habitat and it’s possible we may see more human to bear encounters. It is important to remember how to defend yourself from bears in case of an attack. If a bear sees you or is approaching you, remain clam and try to look as large as possible by standing tall and waving your arms around. Always remember to avoid eye contact. And finally, if a bear charges at you, know that it is most likely a bluff, and that standing your ground will most likely make the bear turn away.
