– A bear that often walks within the planning area of a city, and has children who are killed because they have a foraging behaviour, is unsustainable. That’s what Arild Olsen, leader of the local council in Longyearbyen, says. He describes “Frost” as a problem bear. – It is my duty to speak up when the population of Longyearbyen feels uncomfortable with a large predator walking in the planning area. Binna’s name is actually “Isbjørn N23992”, but many people call her “Frost”. Although she has been featured in several nature documentaries around the world, several in Svalbard have been allowed to get a little closer than is convenient. Several cabins have been haunted and razed. So far this year, she must have been in eight to ten cabins on Svalbard. In addition, three of her cubs have been euthanized after entering the tent. In 2020, a Dutch tourist died as a result of such an attack. Arild Olsen is a leader in the local council in Longyearbyen. Photo: Ida Louise Rostad / news Olsen believes it is only a matter of time before something happens to the binna, which could have unfortunate consequences for either people or herself. The leader of the local council in Longyearbyen does not have a clear answer as to what should be done. But he points out that a solution could be to anesthetize the bear and then move it to a place where it is difficult for her to return to Longyearbyen. It was Svalbardposten that mentioned polar bear binna first. There it emerges that Olsen believes she should be killed. – I have not yet said, or believe that, she does not have the right to life. I’m just pointing out that most things have been tried, so if others have a method that works, then it’s for the best for everyone, says Olsen to news. – Completely wrong to blame the bear Filmmaker Asgeir Helgestad reacts strongly to Olsen’s statement in Svalbardposten. Helgestad filmed the binns in 2013. In 2018, the film “Queen Without Land”, which shows the consequences of the melting ice in the Arctic, was released. – I think that it is completely wrong, and that other measures must be put in place before taking such a step, says the filmmaker. Photo: Asgeir Helgestad Helgestad is aware that it is not easy to unlearn the approaching binna, but believes it is the humans’ fault that it comes so close. One of the reasons is that slaughter waste from reindeer hunting is left in the terrain, he says. – It would be completely wrong to blame the bear and say that she is a criminally bad mother. She is learning. After all, we are the ones who give her reason to teach her children the bad knowledge. The filmmaker believes that a solution to the problem could be to tighten up on the local reindeer and seal hunting. Nothing has been decided Lars Fause, the head of administration on Svalbard, is aware that ongoing assessments are made about “Frost” and other bears that approach settlements. – We are looking into the matter and are ready to initiate measures at short notice, should the need arise. Euthanasia will not be omitted or carried out without a solid professional foundation, says Fause. Lars Fause is the mayor of Svalbard. Photo: Jørn Inge Johansen / news And even though the polar bear binna has been given a name in the vernacular, this does not affect the decisions they make about the future of the polar bears in the area. – In my role, you don’t have feelings. Decisions are made based on purely objective thinking and what is then correct based on an overall assessment. We must do what is most correct at all times. The population is not affected. One of those who advises the Governor is polar bear researcher Jon Aars at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Aars says that the advice they give is related to how not to encourage the polar bears to do something they don’t want them to do. Jon Aars is a polar bear researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news The researcher says that Binna’s family is so used to people that there is a greater risk of incidents occurring. – But I don’t know if this mother is anything particularly dangerous. After all, she has managed to stay away to a greater extent. Nevertheless, the researcher believes that it is probably too late to change the bear’s behaviour. If “Frost” were killed, this would not affect the stock significantly, he says. – It has nothing to do with the population itself if two to four bears are taken out a year. – So the population is strong enough to kill problem bears? – Yes.
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Uncertain future for the approaching celebrity polar bear “Frost” in Svalbard – news Troms and Finnmark
