A Message from Russia to Iceland
Mar 6th, 2010 | By mervi | Category: Featured articlesSince I’m a godmother for polar bears and pandas WWF sends me their newsletters and I found this article in the latest issue. What has been possible in Russia should also be possible in Iceland. There’s no need to shoot the poor polar bears looking for food and a decent life! If there’s a will there’s a way! Greetings from Mervi
The polar bear patrol and Mr Kozhevnikov
In eastern Russia several hundreds of polar bears wander along the coast line and pass the villages Ryrkarpie and Vankarem every year. Due to the climate changes in Arctis the bears have decided for staying in land while waiting the sea to freeze again. The result of this has been that the polar bears have approached the villages looking for leftovers and carpage. In order to protect the inhabitants in the villages WWF has hired several very experienced hunters as the Polar Bear Patrol.
The mission of this patrol is to make an inventory of the bears and report to WWF but also to diminish the conflict between the inhabitants and the polar bears. So far the mission has been a great success!
Last autumn they saw a very tired, haggard polar bear on his way to the village Ryrkarpie. The patrol chased the bear away but he kept on coming back. However, very soon the bear understood that as long as he stayed on the spit of the village without disturbing the inhabitants he himself would be left alone.
Since the bear had the possibility to rest and access to a food supply he rapidly gained weight. Obviously he was enjoying his life because he stayed in the village for two months. The people living in the village got used to the polar bear and called him Mr Kozhevnikov after the spit he was living on.
Dear Mervi,
you are so right. Where there is a will, there is also a way. I am glad, that the Russian patrol managed to help the polar bears and at the same time the inhabitants were protected.
Island should learn about this. I hope that never ever a polar bear will be killed at all.
Thank you for sharing this article it makes me hope that humans change their way of “thinking”.
Hugs from caren
Mervi, I love this story….yes, where there’s humanity and thoughtfulness, there is a way…xo k-j
Hi Mervi,
what a wonderful example, how to live together without chasing or hurting the animal.
Maybe we could write letters to the WWF to make more efforts to do likely in Iceland, so no more icebears will be shot there, as soon as the reach the country.
greetings
agi
Thanks to the experienced polar bear patrol! Thank you Mervi for reporting! What a kind and curious polar bear look in the last picture!
Mervi, diese Geschichte zeigt,daß Menschen und Bären sehr wohl nebeneinander leben können. Die Russen zeigen wie es geht. Glückliche Eisbären
Bea
Dear Mervi!
Thank you so much.
TBM
I hope others will learn from the example being set here by the Russians. If humans used their brains more and their guns less, we would have a much happier world. No polar bears should ever be shot…in fact no animal should ever be shot unless they are a threat to others or are ill and suffering.
Thanks Mervi. Loved this story!!
Dear Mervi,
What a wonderful story! Congratulations to the Russian Bear Patrol and WWF for making the co-existence of polar bears and humans possible. Agi has a point–maybe letters should be sent to the WWF asking them for their assistance in “educating” Icelanders on this subject.
Hugs from Sarsam