Russian scientists are ‘besieged’ by polar bears at a remote Arctic post

This story caught my attention- seems like the plot to some horror movie, but, it is in fact a real event! According to the Washington Post, at least.

A team of Russian weather experts claim that their station on an ice-covered Arctic isle is "besieged" by polar bears, according to a report by Russian news agency TASS. The five researchers charged with staffing the outpost on Troynoy Island say that there are about 10 adult polar bears as well as cubs circling their base. A female polar bear spends nights perched outside the station's windows, making it dangerous for the scientists to exit. They have reportedly run out of flares and have lost at least one of their two dogs to the arctic beasts. The presence of the polar bears has made carrying out meteorological observations difficult, reports TASS. Russian law outlaws killing polar bears, a globally-listed endangered species, so scientists in the Arctic are mostly equipped with flares and guns with rubber bullets.

I'm glad that they are forbidden to kill polar bears. The article continues:

Vassiliy Shevchenko, the head of the organization that maintains the weather stations, said a ship with provisions is making its way to Troynoy Island to bring aid — including dogs and more flare guns — to the beleaguered scientists. But it will arrive a month from now. "Instructions were given to the Mikhail Somov expedition vessel that will reach the station in about a month," Shevchenko is quoted as saying, "to deliver dogs, as one of the station’s canines was killed by a bear, and also flares and other pyrotechnical devices needed to scare the animals away." On Wednesday, though, Shevchenko reported that a helicopter launched from another ship had reached the station and delivered new supplies, including three puppies to "scare away the bears." There are two married couples among the team of five at the base.

I feel sorry for the unmarried scientist- not only could this be a great sci-fi/horror plot, but might fare well as a soap opera, too.
Apparently a similar event occurred about a year ago... to find out more here is the: SOURCE

I thought all the polar bears would supposed to have drown by now.

Yes they drown if they can't find land/ice after swimming 100 miles looking for dinner

originally posted by: manuelram16
Yes they drown if they can't find land/ice after swimming 100 miles looking for dinner

Well, these are spared! They've found their dinner are just waiting for it to realize it's dinner already.

Ok they cant kill them, but they can scare them, how about using some kind of sound tech to shoo them away, they are scientists for bears sake!


ps: reminds me of that movie 'The Grey' but instead of wolves, they get polar bears, nice!

Issue them blanks for their weapons.
or
Have a pack of dogs.
Maybe rat terriers.
Have you seen those things on youtube videos ?
They are fearless against cat sized rats.
Three of four of them would be a polar bears worst nightmare.

a reply to: seattlerat

It looks like they were able to drive the bears off:
www.theguardian.com...

Russian scientists have driven away polar bears that besieged their weather station on an island in the Arctic Ocean for two weeks.

A nearby ship was able to reach the island and supply the scientists with dogs and flares to scare off the bears, said the Sevgidromet state monitoring network that owns the station.

They should also do like their American and Canadian counterparts... Keep the garbage well away from the main camp (most likely thing to attract them), get some extra-strong bear spray, and invest in a decent electric fence. Unless you have a dozen dogs or more, they're just going to look like a snack, and flares will run out again.