Authorities Shoot Rare Polar Bear In Iceland After Threatening Local Resident

Authorities announced on Friday, September 20, that a rare polar bear seen outside a cottage in a remote Icelandic village was shot by police after being deemed a threat. The bear was killed Thursday afternoon in northwest Iceland after police consulted the Environment Agency, which opted not to relocate the animal, according to Westfjords Police Chief Helgi Jensson in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Owner Felt Scared And Alone

“It’s not something we like to do. In this case, as you can see in the picture, the bear was very close to a summer house. There was an old woman in there,” Jensson said. The owner, feeling scared and alone, locked herself upstairs while the bear searched through her garbage, according to Jensson. 

“She stayed there,” Jensson stated, noting that other summer residents had already left. “She knew the danger.” Polar bears are not indigenous to Iceland but sometimes land on its shores after drifting on ice floes from Greenland, explained Anna Sveinsdóttir, director of scientific collections at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. 

The bear that was shot on Thursday marked the first sighting in Iceland since 2016. Such sightings are rare, with only 600 documented since the ninth century. While polar bears are protected in Iceland and killing one at sea is prohibited, they can be killed if they threaten humans or livestock.

Scientists Collected Samples From The Bear

The young bear, weighing between 150 and 200 kilograms (300 to 400 pounds), will be sent to the institute for study. Scientists collected samples from the bear on Friday.

According to Sveinsdóttir, they will examine the bear for parasites and infections while assessing its physical condition, including organ health and body fat percentage. The pelt and skull may be preserved for the institute’s collection. Police reported that a Coast Guard helicopter surveyed the area where the bear was found but did not locate any others. After the bear was removed, the woman who reported the incident chose to remain in the village longer, as noted by Jensson.

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