For the first time in eight years, a polar bear was discovered in Iceland. It is believed to have traveled hundreds of kilometers on an ice floe from Greenland. The police shot the animal and said they had no other choice.
A few hours after the first polar bear was spotted in Iceland since 2016, the authorities decided to kill the animal. The police shot the bear in the northwest of the country in close consultation with the environmental agency.
It is suspected that the animal came to Iceland on an ice floe from Greenland – a distance of several hundred kilometers. Icebergs have recently been spotted more frequently off the coast, reported the Icelandic broadcaster RUV.
Carcass is examined
Bringing the animal back to Greenland was out of the question, the authorities said. One reason was the fear that the polar bear could bring diseases from Iceland when it returned. The police had no choice but to shoot it.
The predator was relatively healthy, said an expert. The carcass, which weighed 150 to 200 kilograms, will now be examined in the capital Reykjavik.
Not in Iceland viable
After two specimens arrived in Iceland in 2008, the authorities decided, following a public debate, that polar bears there should be killed, even though the species is endangered. This also happened the last time a polar bear was seen eight years ago.
The authorities say the animals are a danger to humans and livestock. In addition, the bears most likely come from a population in East Greenland that is stable. In addition, the costs of repatriation are far too high.
In any case, according to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, polar bears would not be able to survive on the island in the long term. There is no sea ice there and the food supply is limited. Females would not be able to give birth or raise young in Iceland.
