Polar Bears Trap Meteorologists in Russia

Presence of endangered animals halts work, strands meteorologists on island

Polar bears may not look frightening from far away, but for five Russian meteorologists, they have become quite terrifying. 

For almost two weeks, five meteorologists stationed on one of the Izvestiy TSIK islands, located 2,800 miles from the country’s capital, have been stranded inside their weather station due to the presence of the bears. 

Polar bears are normal in the area, though their population has more than doubled in 2016, NBC News reported. 

The meteorologists themselves aren’t in danger, but some of their work has been halted because it's been too dangerous to leave the station. 

The weather bureau in Arkhangelsk has said it will send a ship with supplies such as flares and small explosives to the station in an attempt to scare the polar bears off. 

The bears are an endangered species. In Russia, shooting polar bears is a crime, unless done in self-defense.

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