A man has died after being attacked by a polar bear at a campsite near Longyearbyen in Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The man, identified only as a foreign visitor, was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Longyearbyen is the main settlement in Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago, which is about 500 miles (800km) north of the Norwegian mainland. The bear was shot dead by locals in a car park close to the airport. According to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK, the man was in one of several tents at the campsite when he was attacked. While there have been only five deaths from polar bear attacks in this area since 1971, authorities warn travellers of the risk from polar bears and those venturing away from settlements are required to carry firearms as a precaution. An advice website for visitors says the bears can appear anywhere on Svalbard and urges people to stay as far away as possible to avoid situations that could be dangerous “for you and for the bear”. It is understood that staff working at the campsite have firearms. Svalbard is dotted with warnings about polar bears. Visitors who choose to sleep outdoors receive stern warnings from the authorities that people must carry firearms when moving outside settlements. The last death from a polar bear encounter in Svalbard happened in 2011 when Horatio Chapple, a 17-year-old boy from Salisbury, south-west England, was killed at a campsite while on a trip organised by the British Schools Exploring Society. In 2015, a polar bear dragged a Czech tourist out of his tent as he and others were camping north of Longyearbyen, clawing his back before being driven away by gunshots.

All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/28/polar-bear-kills-man-norway-svalbard-longyearbyen


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