Polar Bear Attacks Surprisingly Rare

Emily F. -- Last Friday, a polar bear attacked on the Norwegian archipelago of Svllbard, resulting in 4 injuries, one death. There was a group of campers with approximately 80 people, that were camping on the Van Postbreen Glacier.  This is the second year in a row, a camper has been attacked at the site. Last year, a camper who was asleep in his tent, was “hunted” down by a polar bear, and attacked. The polar bear dragged the camper out of the tent by his head, and continued to maul the camper. His expedition partner, then grabbed a rifle, and began shooting at the bear. Unfortunately it was too late.

                Polar bears instinct is too hunt (them being carnivores), so the fact a polar bear attacked, comes to no surprise.  Although, polar bears don’t attack humans very often, they have been noted to killing 8 people in Canada and 2 in Alaska. Polar bear expert Tom Smith of Brigham Young University says "People talk about polar bears stalking and hunting humans, If that's the case, they're doing a pretty poor job of it."

My thought on this article is that, it seems many average people see polar bears as some kind of horrid creature out to kill. Polar bears natural instinct is to kill, so that’s what they do. Yes, it’s a tragedy when someone is killed like that, but I find it odd when people take it over the top. People who talk about polar bears as things that are stalking humans, and killing us, seems a bit crazy. Like Tom Smith of Brigham Young University says “If that’s the case, they’re doing a pretty poor job of it. The polar bear is just hunting in general. They’re not out to get us.

Link:  Polar Bear Attacks Surprisingly Rare