Tag Archives: polar bears
CLOUDY COMPLICATIONS: Several days of fog in Longyearbyen results in multitude of cancelled flights, heightened problems with polar bears making repeat visits near town

Dense fog in Longyearbyen the past several days has resulted in several cancelled flights during a crippled tourism season (now including the loss of cruises due to COVID-19 outbreak on one), plus an inability to detect and monitor polars visiting populated areas near Longyearbyen, according to officials and media reports.
NO POLAR BEARS BY 2100? Svalbard faces most drastic threat to entire population, even if climate change impacts are reduced, in new global study
BE NOT THAT AFRAID: Yes, a polar bear (or two) is lurking near town Saturday – but that’s NOT why this helicopter is rattling roofs

Locals missed out on dozens of dogs yelping, but there were a few cases of the yipes at noon Saturday as residents wondering if a polar bear lurking near town was the reason a rescue helicopter was perched on the ridge of Sukkartoppen a short distance above homes.
Short answer: no. Somewhat longer answer: Click the blue box below.
10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE SPECIAL: Extra-extra-extra massive amount of random weirdness for the week of March 12, 2019
Too much to bear: Open weekend at Fredheim cancelled by governor due to several polar bears located nearby

An annual open weekend at the Fredheim trapping station at the entrance to Templefjorden has been cancelled this weekend due to the presence of multiple polar bears in the vicinity, The Governor of Svalbard announced Thursday. The announcement comes a day after the inner portion of the fjord was closed to motorized traffic due to numerous incidents of wildlife being disturbed.
Random weirdness for the week of Feb. 19, 2019

The first sunlight of the year is back and so are the first polar bears at the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund (unless the predators were lurking in the dark waiting for some hapless person without a headlamp). But it’s not entirely a happy sight for staffers and not because of what some outsiders might presume is the possibility of becoming polar prey.
ALL-CONSUMING TERROR: Could massive polar bear “invasion” of town on neighboring Russian island happen in Svalbard? Probably not unless we get wasted, expert says

Those dozens of polar bears invading and terrorizing a small Russian island town to the east with some remarkably similar qualities to Longyearbyen are going to have plenty of energy to swim here if so inclined when they finish their feast. But while photos of the bears are making for lively local social media fodder, don’t expect them to make the long swim here – or, more importantly, those already in the area – to stage a similar occupation.