The Kolyma Polar Bear Patrol headed by Ruslan Sleptsov started on 31 March  from the village of Pokhodsk. A group of inspectors from Yakutia’s Environment Ministry traveled on three snowmobiles. This year the Kolyma Gulf did not have too many ice blocks, so after spending the night in a hut on the shore, the group set off for the Bear Islands archipelago.

Over the course of several days, the snowmobile patrol inspected all of the six islands of the archipelago and detected (visually and by trails) 11 female bears with 17 yearlings, a female bear with two last-year cubs and 16 single bears.

“During the patrol, the inspectors found seven polar bear’ maternity lairs,” head of WWF Polar Bear Patrol project said. “Part of the lairs may have been covered with snow, as it was very windy during the patrol. This year, we carried out a great deal of preparatory work, which was sponsored by our partners and supporters.”

(Photo © Ruslan Sleptsov)