When bears attack

We’ve discussed before how geologists’ pursuit of the critical outcrop sometimes puts us in somewhat sticky situations, but in this story, rather scarily, its not so much a case of geologists ambling into danger as danger ambling towards them.

At least 30 hungry bears have trapped a group of geologists at their remote survey site in Russia’s far east after killing two of their co-workers last week, emergency officials said on Tuesday…

…Rampant fish poaching in the empty tundra of Russia’s farthest reaches sends hungry bear populations into populated centres every year, attracted to the food-rich garbage humans leave behind.

Officials said a helicopter ferrying officials and hunters could not fly in bad weather, but an all-terrain vehicle was on its way to the camp, where it would await government approval to shoot the bears.

I have a colleague who has done fieldwork in northern Canada and had his fair share of bear encounters whilst he was there, but his stories mainly involve just the one individual, which is apparently frightening enough. You can steer clear of or possibly intimidate one, but 30? It sounds like the plot of some cheap 50s horror movie. Hopefully these guys can get out without further casualties.

Categories: fieldwork, geohazards

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