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bear kept returning

19 August 2024

A couple of days we have had a bear in the fjord, with great interest in the village. This bear was staying in the fjord for at least 4 days.

16 August 202422:23We discovered the bear pretty early when it was near Corbell. It started walking to town and two hour later it was close to the Zeppelin mast. Students from UNIS had followed the whole approach from the platform on top of Vekthuset. The bear is chased away with 12 flares and a car driving fast toweards him. The bear is not impressed but finally starts walking around the vilage south side.
17 August 202408:30The bear is at the same location again. It has killed a reindeer and is eating from the carcass. Killing reindeer is rare, see also this post. The bear is chased to Blomstrand with 12 flares and a boat. The carcass is also brought there. We hope the bear stays on the other side of the fjord.
18 August 202415:00The bear is still seen near the carcass.
18 August 202416:00Another sighting north of Ossian Sars. This must be another bear.
18 August 202421:00The bear is back and is laying 300 meter east of the village on the beach, watching all activity in town. We leave the bear in peace this far outside the village.
19 August 202407:00The bear is still on the same spot on the beach. At 07:30 the bear leaves taking again the route along the mountain south of town.
19 August 202412:00Flares are fired from the airport. Usually this is to chase reindeer of the runway, when a plane is coming. This time it is again our bear. He swims now to the west, to Brandal. Rumors are that he now had killed a seal in Thiisbukta bay.
20 August 202406:00A bear is near the workshops in town and photographed. I think it is the same bear which learned our activity pattern in the night from 18 to 19 August.

Some pictures by Frits Steenhuisen.

Not impressed. More curious.


Finally the bear leaves.


But has returned the next day.....

<
I have been gathering all bear sightings in Kongfjorden. The graph clearly shows a fast increase in recent years in days with bears. This single bear caused 4 polar bear days.



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