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More Than 50 Polar Bears Invade Russian Town Causing A State Of Emergency

More Than 50 Polar Bears Invade Russian Town Causing A State Of Emergency

Residents are terrified of the bears, which have been seen walking into apartment blocks

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A town in Russia has had a sudden invasion of more than 50 polar bears, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency.

Residents of Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic island, have seen a huge influx of 'predatory' bears who are said to 'walk insolently' inside apartment buildings and offices.

Around 3,000 people live on the island and are said to be 'afraid to go outside' as the bears cause their daily life to be 'in turmoil', according to the deputy head of the local administration, Aleksandr Minayev.

Minayev said: "Parents are wary of letting children to go to schools and kindergartens.

"There are cases of aggressive behaviour of wild animals - attacks on people, penetration into residential and office buildings."

However, residents risk being prosecuted if they attempt to shoot the endangered bears.

Within the town of Belushya Guba, 52 of the animals have been counted so far - they've been spotted hunting for food in dumps and wandering around the settlement which is home to a number of Russian military personnel.

Teachers have expressed concern over the safety of schoolchildren during the bear invasion.
East2West

Head of the local administration Zigansha Musin said: "I have been in Novaya Zemlya since 1983, yet I've never seen such a massive polar bear invasion."

He also added that the bears are 'literally chasing people and even entering the entrances of residential buildings', which sounds absolutely bloody terrifying.

But the folks of Novaya Zemlya are seemingly made of sterner stuff, with the Siberian Times reporting that some residents have been seen going outside their homes while bears are just feet away. Attempts to frighten the bears off, such as shooting in the air and sounding horns, have failed.


A request to shoot some of the bears was sent to Moscow but has been declined as the species is endangered. As an alternative to shooting the bears, a team of specialists has been sent out to offer advice to residents.

Teachers have urged the authorities to consider security measures to protect schoolkids, while others have voiced their concerns over attacks if people are unable to scare the bears off.

Anastasia Bondarenko, a local resident who moved away from the area after the bears arrived, said: "There are no more enemies... they become insolent. This is scary.

"When they walk under your window at night, it is creepy."

Yep, I can imagine it is, Anastasia.

Featured Image Credit: East2West

Topics: World News, Weird, Animals, Russia