Dead fox found on roadside sent to mainland for rabies test
A polar fox that children found dead by the side of the road to Svalbard Airport during the Spitsbergen Marathon on Saturday has been sent to the mainland to determine if it has rabies, according The Governor of Svalbard. A fox that attacked two dogs at Hopen on April was infected with the disease and as a result the bodies of all dead foxes are being analyzed, said Police Chief Lt. Arnt Rennan. “The fox was laying underwater next to the road, a few hundred yards from a food station,” said Police Chief Lt. Frede Lamo, who removed the carcass. He said dead foxes without rabies are discovered often and the inspection is a precaution for those near settlements. “We keep every possibility open, but I do not think there is anything to worry about,” he said.
Agreement for local folk high school signed
An agreement for a long-sought folk high school was formally signed Monday following a meeting of the Longyearbyen Community Council. The agreement between the city and the Norwegian Christian youth organization KFUK-KFUM calls for the new school to debut in the fall of 2019. “Now we are a perfect team,” said Espen Klungseth Rotevatn, a member of the council and the school’s general manager. “The local government has local expertise and affiliation with Svalbard, and KFUK-KFUM is a professional folk high school participant.”