Friday 5 August 2011

An endangered species - and now we know why

A very sad news story today about a 17 years old English boy who was mauled to death in the Arctic in northern Norway by a polar bear. Very sad indeed  for the youth and his family but even sadder for the polar bear - it was killed by being shot by other members of the group.

And on Radio 4's PM programme this afternoon another 'young adventurer' told listeners about his close encounter in the same area when a polar bear started to attack his tent. The problem was solved by him shooting the bear. And the next person interviewed was a leader of these expeditions who explained that next week she was taking a party of six students to the same area but felt that they would be safe because they had undergone "intensive training in the use of guns".

So two dead polar bears, and the risk of more, just because youngsters want adventure by trespassing into the polar bears territory and are then surprised when the polar bears do what polar bears naturally do.

For God's sake, will nobody state the obvious? Polar bears live in the Arctic and are finding it difficult enough to survive without being killed by fun seeking young idiots who invade their territory. The Norwegian government should ban these 'expeditions' immediately before any more slaughter of these beautiful creatures takes place

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