Russia: State of Emergency Due to Polar Bears on Novaya Zemlya

There is less ice than usual this winter in the Arctic Circle. Polar bears are therefore searching for food on land. Residents are frightened.

There are some visitors to their homes that people north of the Arctic Circle could do without. Polar bears, for instance. On the Russian double island of Novaya Zemlya, there are so many of them this winter that authorities have raised the alarm. Russian experts are now deliberating on how residents can be protected on a permanent basis. Researchers in Germany believe that such encounters could become more frequent in the future.

Some bears were «literally chasing» people, said the head of a local authority, Zhigansha Musin. He has lived on the island since 1983, but has never experienced such a concentration of bears. Only a few thousand people live on Novaya Zemlya.

To protect residents from the animals, additional fences have already been erected near kindergartens, and personnel from the Russian air force and air defence troops stationed on Novaya Zemlya are being transported to work in special vehicles. According to Tass, patrols have also been deployed against the polar bears, but the measures have so far failed to achieve the desired effect. The bears are not being deterred by dogs or patrol cars.

Climate Change Is to Blame

It has always happened occasionally in the past that polar bears no longer searched for food in the wild but on rubbish dumps, says marine ecologist Hauke Flores from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven. «The fact that such cases are increasing is strongly linked to climate change.»

Access to food is becoming increasingly difficult for polar bears. Around ten years ago, the water around the double island was still frozen in winter. «Back then, the bears could still walk around comfortably on the ice. During the winter months, there is no longer a permanent ice cover — a problem for the predators».

Pack ice for seal hunting

Polar bear expert Sybille Klenzendorf from the environmental organization WWF explains that the white bears need pack ice to be able to catch seals at all. Without ice floes, they cannot reach the mammals they primarily feed on. «Polar bears eat the fat of the animals first. Their main feeding season is from November to June.» Because the ice around Novaya Zemlya is absent and the bears are hungry, they are drawn to the settlements, the conservationist explains. «Polar bears have a super sense of smell. They can detect food from a distance of up to 30 kilometres.»

How many polar bears live around Novaya Zemlya is unclear, says Klenzendorf. «It is a military restricted area. There have been no scientific surveys since 2004.» The region has large rubbish dumps where the animals find food. The administration has recognized the problem. Regional official Zhigansha Mussin told the Interfax agency:«By 2020, we plan to completely eliminate all landfill sites and build an incineration facility.»

For now, the animals are being scared off — before the authorities tackle longer-term measures. «New bears can be deterred well by noise. But they also get used to it», says Klenzendorf. Flares, pepper spray, and electric fences are equally effective, according to her. Villages now need to be secured with fences and barriers. She also emphasizes the importance of removing waste and fencing off rubbish dumps.

Unpredictable land predators

«Polar bears are dangerous. They are the largest land predators and unpredictable», explains WWF expert Klenzendorf, who has been keeping an eye on the Russian bears for years. The animals on Novaya Zemlya have become accustomed to humans and have learned that they can find food in bins near houses. «When 400 kilograms of weight leans against a locked door, it sometimes opens.» There are videos on the internet from the settlement showing a bear strolling through an apartment building hallway — past parked prams.

Climate change favours encounters

Climate change is encouraging encounters with humans, says Flores. He would not be surprised if such cases become more frequent in the future. One reason is the rise in water temperature. In the Arctic, seawater freezes at minus 1.9 degrees due to its salt content. However, it has become somewhat warmer in recent years. "Ecologically speaking, that makes a gigantic difference.»

Environmental campaigners at WWF are therefore concerned: "Over the past 40 years, we have lost six times the area of Germany in ice. Forecasts predict that the Arctic will be completely ice-free in summer by 2050." This is leading to conflicts between polar bears and humans. It has already happened not only in northern Russia, but also in Greenland, Canada, and Alaska.

The shooting of polar bears on the Russian double island is not currently planned. The animals are among the endangered species. However, it may be possible to tranquillize them and fly them by plane to the ice, says Klenzendorf. But that would be expensive. "I can't imagine they will fly out all the polar bears.»