Polar bear kills English boy in Norway

It's been all over the news here in Norway the last couple of days, and it's tragic when these things happen. :?

But what is making this even more tragic is that it looks like they didn't secure their campsite good enough from polar bears (tripwire didn't go off, looks like they didn't hide the food good enough, not the best place for a campsite etc..).
This time of the year it is normally also not enough food for the polar bears on Svalbard, so they tend to get closer to humans due to that as well.
 
Omigod!!! How could that happen? I thought all polar bears had died because the Ice Cap was melting!!!!

Bear 1
Humans 0

:m1:
 
It's been all over the news here in Norway the last couple of days, and it's tragic when these things happen. :?

But what is making this even more tragic is that it looks like they didn't secure their campsite good enough from polar bears (tripwire didn't go off, looks like they didn't hide the food good enough, not the best place for a campsite etc..).
This time of the year it is normally also not enough food for the polar bears on Svalbard, so they tend to get closer to humans due to that as well.

Of course, to take risks of this sort with such hunters as Polar bears does not bear thinking about. I believe the worst death is just that, creatures so powerful that they have no requirement than do anything but hold and eat - no hurry at all. All these animals should not be trifled with in this way.
 
very sad. I think our American members might be able to confirm that they experience many of these cases in USA but from grizzly bear attacks.
 
Polar Bears are a quite simple mechanism, made to survive the arctic winter.
Whatever moves is labeled FOOD, and stationary objects with another colour than snow, ice and rocks is labeled POTENTIAL FOOD.

The evolution never made space for mankind in the mind of the Polar Bear, and they have no natural fear of humans.

We can argue about what went wrong untill we turn blue, but in the end we have to reach the conclusion that this was another tragic event, and we have to learn from it.
Hopefully they (Norwegian authorities on Svalbard) will start some kind of mandatory training/course in order to minimize the risk of confrontations between humans and bears in the future.

Choice of camp site, safe procedures concerning the handeling of food and waste, guard routines, and rigging of trip-wires is essential here.

Reports mentioned that the trip-wires failed, unfortunately that is most often linked to human error.
Depending on the age and type of trip-wire used, they should be fool proof.
The main issue is to secure the pole/post that supports the flare, to anchor the wire positively, and to remove the safety-pin.

Not saying that the trip-wire itself will drive the bear off, though the bang, the flare, and the whistle will confuse the animal for a moment, but it will alarm the people within the perimeter and give them a chance to prepare themselves for the attack.

Sad story anyway.
 
Good post. I can tell you that when I found myself in the desert in Egypt, outside the camp perimeter overnight and protected only by trip wire, I made sure to stay awake, and let the other two sleep- and the bang that woke them was from me.

But Polar bears - no contest as far I am concerned, a zero risk proposition.
 
Read in an article yesterday that the Polarbear most probably was sick and had severe problems with it's teeth causing it great pain.
So that could have been the reason for it's behavior....
 
Its a shame that so many got injured and one chap died, but they seem to have forgotten that they are in the Bears land and they are food to him. It appeared that the rifle did not work properly, may be had had not been cleaned or checked for ages. There should have been some one standing guard but this had been over looked and this had been left to the machines which had frozen up. People seem to forget that they should be extra careful and life is not the same as back home
 
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