Polar bear attack on researcher in East Greenland
A man was injured in an attack by a polar bear in East Greenland last Friday, according to a report yesterday by the Greenlandic broadcasting company KNR.
The attack took place on the island of Traill Ø, around 200 kilometers north of the settlement of Ittoqqotoormiit. The man was part of a German research group carrying out field work on the island. According to the information provided, the group was surprised by a polar bear around midday. The bear attacked the man and injured him. The rest of the group were unharmed in the attack and were able to call for help in Ittoqqotoormiit.
Police said that the man was transported to the nearby Mestersvig airfield after the attack and was taken from there to Iceland’s Landspitali in Reykjavik. He is in a stable condition, the report continues. The rest of the team was also evacuated. The bear was shot after the attack
The bear attack is one of several incidents reported in the region this year. Only recently, two bears were killed in Ittoqqotoormiit after they appeared near the village and could not be scared away. The mayor of the political municipality of Sermersooq had called on the government to increase the shooting quota for polar bears this year due to the increased number of encounters with the animals.
Dr. Michael Wenger, Polar Journal AG
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