Emergency Declared Over Polar Bears— Lots of Polar Bears

An emergency has been declared in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, due to ... polar bears? Yes, dozens of the animals have invaded the Russian islands, prompting environmental authorities to bring in a team of specialists to sedate and remove them, the Guardian reports. The bears "have literally been chasing people," says a local official in the remote Arctic region, adding that the scope of the invasion is unprecedented. The 3,000 residents of the island chain are scared to let their children go to school or even leave the house, another local official says. The bears' seasonal migration is to blame, along with the availability of "edible waste" in the area for them to eat, an expert tells TASS. They have even been spotted entering residential buildings. (As sea ice dwindles, polar bear attacks rise.)