The Guardian tries to blame the Polar Bear attack on global warming :
The threat that the bears pose to humans may have been growing, as an increasing number of visitors encroach on the animals’ domains and the bigger towns on the islands offer the temptations of easy food.
Another factor is that the prey the bears normally rely on – seals – has been harder to reach as the ice around the islands has shrunk in recent years. Spitsbergen harbour used to be icebound for most of the year; but recently the ice has been breaking up sooner and is thinner.
Nice story, but blithering nonsense. Here is what the American Consul at Bergen, Norway wrote in 1922 :
There were few seal in Spitzbergen waters this year, the catch being far under the average. This, however, did not surprise the captain. He pointed out that formerly the waters about Spitzbergen held an even summer temperature of about 3 Celsius; this year recorded temperatures up to 15°, and last winter the ocean did not freeze over even on the north coast of Spitzbergen.
In 1922, the harbor did not freeze at all – much less stay icebound for most of the year.
Furthermore, the reason they were where they were, was because “unprecedented amnounts of sea ice around the islands prevented them crossing to their destination”.
Oh! and did I mention the member of that same party who was spared the ordeal as he was in hospital at the time being treated for……. FROSTBITE!
All this information comes coutesy of the BBC news, whose presenters chose to ignore the delicious irony of the above whilst in the same bulletin imparting the knowledge that at 3,000 local population, the polar bears are more numerous than the indigenous people.
I expect humans taste nicer than seals anyway which must be a bit blubbery.
More tender to say the least!