Police Shoot Polar Bear Spotted After Eight Years In Iceland

The rare sight of a polar bear in Iceland, considered a cause of concern for residents, was shot by the police on Thursday afternoon near a cabin located in a isolated Icelandic community

The police acted only after holding a dialogue with Environment Agency. As per the Westfjords Police Chief Helgi Jensson, relocation was not an alternative.

“It's not something we like to do,” Jensson said to AP. “In this case, as you can see in the picture, the bear was very close to a summer house. There was an old woman in there.”

The house owner, who was by herself, was terrified and locked herself upstairs while the bear dug through her trash. Through a satellite link, she made contact with her daughter in the capital city of Reykjavik and requested assistance, according to the AP report. 

“She stayed there,” Jensson said, adding that other summer residents in the area had gone home. “She knew the danger."

Spotting of polar bears in Iceland

Polar bears are not native to Iceland. They occasionally move from Greenland on ice floes. This rare bear was the first-ever to be seen in Iceland since 2016. Over the years, only 600 sightings have been recorded from the ninth century. While polar bears are protected species, they can be killed if they endanger human beings. 

Specifics about the polar bear found

The bear weighed somewhere in-between 150 and 200 kgs. Scientists plan to examine its remains for health assessments. They will check for parasites and evaluate organ health, according to an AP report.