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Polar bear shot dead after attacking cruise ship guard in Norway Arctic cruise ship guard shoots polar bear dead for injuring colleague
(35 minutes later)
A polar bear has been shot dead after attacking and injuring a guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship on an Arctic archipelago in Norway. A polar bear has been shot dead after injuring a guard working for cruise ship tourists visiting an Arctic archipelago in Norway.
The bear was shot dead by another employee, the cruise company said after the attack on Saturday. The bear was shot dead by another employee, the cruise company said after the incident on Saturday.
The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway said on Twitter that the attack had occurred when tourists from the MS Bremen cruise ship landed on the northernmost island of the Svalbard archipelago, a region between mainland Norway and the North Pole known for its remote terrain, glaciers, reindeer and polar bears. The Joint Rescue Coordination for Northern Norway said on Twitter that the attack had occurred when tourists from the cruise ship MS Bremen landed on the northernmost island of the Svalbard archipelago, a region between mainland Norway and the North Pole known for its glaciers, reindeer and polar bears.
A spokeswoman for the German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the MS Bremen, said that two polar bear guards from their ship went on the island and one of them “was attacked by a polar bear and injured on his head”.A spokeswoman for the German Hapag Lloyd Cruises company, which operates the MS Bremen, said that two polar bear guards from their ship went on the island and one of them “was attacked by a polar bear and injured on his head”.
The polar bear was then shot dead “in an act of self-defence” by the second guard, Negar Etminan said.The polar bear was then shot dead “in an act of self-defence” by the second guard, Negar Etminan said.
The injured man was taken by helicopter to the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen island. “He was flown out, was responsive, and is currently undergoing medical treatment,” Etminan said, adding that he was not in a life-threatening condition.
All cruise ships traveling in the region are obliged to have polar bear guards aboard, she said.
Arctic tourism has risen sharply in the last few years and is now in high season. A Longyearbyen port schedule showed that 18 cruise ships will be docking in the next week.
Pictures of the polar bear were widely circulated online, sparking criticism of Arctic wildlife tourism, including from the comedian Ricky Gervais, who tweeted:Pictures of the polar bear were widely circulated online, sparking criticism of Arctic wildlife tourism, including from the comedian Ricky Gervais, who tweeted:
"Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close". Morons. https://t.co/FEPt0sYOtF"Let's get too close to a polar bear in its natural environment and then kill it if it gets too close". Morons. https://t.co/FEPt0sYOtF
Polar bear killed for acting like a wild animal: https://t.co/LEzZuIQ4vYPolar bear killed for acting like a wild animal: https://t.co/LEzZuIQ4vY
Norway The injured man was taken by helicopter to the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen island. “He was flown out, was responsive, and is currently undergoing medical treatment,” Etminan said, adding that he was not in a life-threatening condition.
All cruise ships sailing in the region were obliged to have polar bear guards aboard, Etminan said.
Arctic tourism has risen sharply in the last few years and it is now the high season. A Longyearbyen port schedule showed that 18 cruise ships would be docking in the next week.
Polar regions
Endangered speciesEndangered species
Animals Cruises
Wildlife holidays
EuropeEurope
Wildlife Norway
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