Polar bear shot by police in Iceland after threat assessment

A rare polar bear was shot by police in Iceland after it was deemed a threat to a local resident. The bear was spotted rummaging through garbage outside a summer house where an elderly woman was staying alone. Frightened, she locked herself upstairs and contacted her daughter for help. Authorities noted that polar bears are not native to Iceland but occasionally arrive from Greenland on ice floes. This particular bear was the first sighted in the country since 2016, with only 600 recorded sightings since the ninth century. While attacks on humans by polar bears are rare, the increasing loss of sea ice due to climate change has led to more bears coming ashore in search of food, raising the potential for conflicts. The bear, weighing between 150 and 200 kilograms, was taken for scientific study after being shot. Samples were collected, and its pelt and skull may be preserved for research purposes. Polar bears are a protected species in Iceland, and while it is illegal to kill them at sea, they can be shot if they pose a danger to humans or livestock. The decision to shoot the bear was made after assessing the immediate threat it posed to the woman in the summer house. Previous discussions about managing polar bear sightings have highlighted the challenges of relocating them back to Greenland due to high costs. The incident underscores the complexities of human-wildlife interactions in the context of climate change, as more polar bears venture into human-populated areas. Following the incident, the woman chose to remain in the village longer, indicating the psychological impact of the encounter.