In late August, Pacific walruses started showing up at Cape Kozhevnikov. Within a few days there were thousands of them. Researchers expected the animals to stay on the coast in their new rookery. But some local polar bears had other ideas. About ten polar bears of various ages live on the cape and they weren't happy about this forced integration. They began a harassment campaign to persuade their new neighbors to leave. The bears only teased their tubby intruders and inflicted little in the way of serious damage. When the bears want more fun, they go into town, the village of Ryrkaipy to be specific. The villagers there are prepared for these troublemakers and determinedly send the big furry animals packing.

There have been more polar bear encounters than average this year across the entire Arctic coast of the Chukotka Peninsula. Apparently, many polar bears from Chukotka and Alaska have remained on land due to the fast breakdown of the ice cover along the coastline of the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea. People should be very cautious when dealing with these predators.

Varvara Semyonova, Marine Mammal Council