State Of Emergency Declared After 50 Polar Bears Invade Russian Village

Polar bear yawning, looking over rocky ledge

A remote village on the Russian archipelago Novaya Zemlya has become besieged by polar bears. Residents of Belushya Guba are living in a state of fear as the wild animals roam through the streets, even entering apartment buildings looking for food.

"I've been on Novaya Zemlya since 1983," local administration head Vigansha Musin said in an official press release. "There's never been such a mass invasion of polar bears."

The bears are even attacking the locals, but they are not allowed to kill the animals because they are considered an endangered species.

Russian authorities were forced to declare a state of emergency as they attempt to remove the polar bears. Officials are trying to scare the bears away, but they are no longer afraid of the tactics police have been using. Some residents are asking for the government to issue permits to shoot the wild bears, but environmental officials have refused to do so.

"People are scared, afraid to leave their homes, their daily routines are being broken, and parents are unwilling to let their children go to school or kindergarten," the deputy head of the local administration, Alexander Minayev, said.

Photo: Getty Images


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