A remote area in Russia known as Novaya Zemlya is being overrun by polar bears, driven away from their previous habitats by climate change.
According to a report by the Independent, a state of emergency has been declared in the area after over 50 polar bears have invaded home and offices and even attacked a few locals.
Due to the melting of arctic ice, the bears have been traveling further away from the traditional hunting grounds in search of food.
Aleksander Minaev, the deputy head of the Novaya Zemlya region said he’s concerned for the safety of his citizens.
“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,” Minaev said. “I’ve been on Novaya Zemlya since 1983,” he explained. “There’s never been such a mass invasion of polar bears.”
In the past months, the military has patrolled the streets to scare off the hungry bears, but the animals are becoming used to their presence.
If the polar bear problem can’t be solved, more drastic measures might be put into place. Hunting polar bears in Russia has been banned for years, but authorities might life the ban to cull the arctic bears numbers.
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