For over four weeks now, the Yakut settlement of Ust-Olenek in the Bulunsky district has been in a state of 'battlefield' between humans and wildlife, and as of 17 July 2024, the two-legged inhabitants are not winning. The uninvited guest in the settlement is a polar bear that refuses to leave its chosen shed on the riverbank. The planet's largest predator has consistently ignored most attempts by locals to scare it away—special whistles, drones and firecrackers didn't work, and the furry tundra dweller quickly began to ignore dogs. At night, it roamed the settlement, and during the day, it rested in its commandeered shelter. New intimidation methods would briefly scare the bear, but then the animal would return. The confrontation ended with the arrival of a response team from the Ust-Lensky Nature Reserve. Riding ATVs for four hours, they chased the bear to the coastal strip, and then pursued it by water to Dzhangylakh Island in the Olenek River delta. The next day, the polar bear was back in the shed. Most likely, it will now be sedated with a special tranquillizer and transported to a more remote area by helicopter.

Despite the comical nature of the story, interactions with polar bears in the Arctic are a headache for locals, lawmakers and presumably the animals themselves. The polar bear is the largest land predator. Males weigh 400–600 kg and females 100–300 kg, with an average body length of 2.5 m and height of 1.5 m. On land, bears can run at speeds up to 40 km/h, and a blow from their paw can easily kill a seal, human, horse, or any other mammal, bird, or reptile. In the Russian Arctic, the polar bear population is estimated at about 20,000 individuals.

The polar bear is listed in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Russian Federation, so hunting it is strictly prohibited. Poachers are punished with prison terms and substantial fines—in 2015, three hunters of rare animals in the Nenets Autonomous Area were sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined RUB 1 mn. Of course, there is a provision allowing the killing of a bear in self-defence, but in practice, it is resorted to quite rarely. First, it's a shame to harm an endangered species. Second, proving self-defence in court can be challenging. Third, shooting a bear isn't as easy as it might seem. A wounded bear will certainly become unpredictable and could easily drag the shooter along to the great hunting grounds in the sky.

It's not uncommon to see polar bears venturing out to 'mingle' with humans in settlements, polar stations and even cities. According to Oleg Chipura, a specialist at the Roev Ruchey Flora and Fauna Park, this behaviour is a result of climate change. The early melting of ice prevents these predators from fully enjoying their sea hunts for ringed seals and bearded seals, forcing them onto land where they must scavenge for whatever food they can find. Hunger drives animals to garbage cans and other trappings of civilisation. They are drawn to areas where marine animal carcasses are butchered, as well as fish processing sites, food warehouses and even homes. A polar bear can easily break into a building and wreak havoc. Predators usually avoid humans, but can become aggressive and attack. As the Chukotka Emergency Ministry emphasises, the best way to avoid 'inviting' bears is to prevent trash dumps, keep settlements well-lit at night and choose flat areas with good visibility when setting up camp. Travellers are advised to always carry a loaded gun of at least 7.62 mm calibre and flare gun, as well as a knife—it allows quick cutting through the tent wall to escape a close encounter with a curious black nose.

Today, treating polar bears as humanely as possible is becoming increasingly common in the Russian Arctic. This requires intensive efforts not only from ecologists and reserve staff but also from the EMERCOM, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and often the Defence Ministry. For example, in 2021, rescuing an emaciated bear that approached people near the Dzhebariki-Khaya settlement in Yakutia's Tomponsky district required joint work by Yakut ecologists, Moscow Zoo specialists, the Russian Geographical Society and Russian Aerospace Forces, who transported the animal to Moscow for treatment. Two years earlier, the EMERCOM captured a polar bear that had been troubling residents of Kamchatka settlements and flew it by helicopter to Chukotka.

This may somewhat ensure the animal returns to hunting seals instead of extorting human settlements. An example is the story of two bear cubs, Khara and Savey, who settled in a gas workers' settlement in Yamal. They were taken from the settlement to the wilderness—the grown bears could now survive on their own and had become quite dangerous for the field workers. They returned 18 days later, having travelled 600 km—easily available food was a strong incentive. The second time they were relocated to the Yavay Peninsula, separated from the mainland by the Gulf of Ob. According to Andrey Boltunov, a leading researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this should ensure the cubs stay where they were brought. True, that wasn't the only factor—the absence of their mother also played a role. According to the scientist, if a mother bear had been with the cubs, they would have crossed the Gulf of Ob after her.

Image attribution: Shutterstock