A bunny and a polar bear cub are now frolicking near several cabins on Svalbard, near Longyearbyen. A cabin was visited by polar bears two days in a row earlier in the week. In another cabin, the owner of the cabin in Foxdalen was sleeping, the night of Thursday. – When I went to bed at 11pm, I heard something outside. I looked around but saw nothing and fell asleep. That’s what Steinar Rorgemoen says, who works with avalanche and glacier courses and ski expeditions. Steinar has lived in Svalbard since 2010. Photo: Steinar Rorgemoen / Private He woke up at 6 o’clock. Looking out the window, he saw a bunch of seagulls. – Then I thought: Now something must have happened. Outside the wall lay a doe and a cub. The thing you least want to meet at. – Binnen will protect the child at all times. Lunta is shorter, no matter what you do, says Rorgemoen. The case was first discussed by Svalbardposten. – Some polar bears have become warm in the cabin. He got dressed and shaded the windows. – I couldn’t do anything other than be dead quiet. Binnen and the polar bear cub eventually walked towards a reindeer carcass, before pointing their snouts towards Longyearbyen. Rorgemoen has been close to polar bears in the past, but never experienced them so close to the cabin. The polar bears in the picture have recently stayed near several cabins near Longyearbyen. Photo: STEINAR RORGEMOEN But it is not the first time that polar bears have come close to cabins on Svalbard, he says. – We are talking about the fact that there are some polar bears who have become cabin fever, who go to cabins and find things inside the cabins. – Maybe it will be passed down to the children. Fortunately, the inside of my cabin was not interesting. They had been close to the window and pooped on the terrace. – After that it was crisp bread and caviar. I didn’t feel like frying anything. Then it became dry crackling bread. But before the polar bear came to Steinar, it had been at another cabin in Svalbard. The polar bear returned Cabin owner Ingvild Sæbu Vatn received several phone calls on Wednesday afternoon. A polar bear was observed outside her cabin at the foot of the Bassen. She had actually intended to go to the cabin, but when she and her party arrived at the area, she saw a white dot right by the cabin. Then they chose to stay away. The polar bear was only 500 meters away from the cabin. Ingvild moved to Svalbard in 2005 and has lived there permanently since 2011. Photo: Ingvild Sæbu Vatn / Private They went home to collect weapons, after being told by the Governor that it was outside their area of action. – Then we felt like going over, to check the situation ourselves, she says. They walked around the polar bear so as not to scare it away. Sæbu Vatn assumed it would return. It did, the day after. – First it tried to get through the outer wall. The polar bear has taken off some planks. The polar bear that visited Ingvild’s cabin has taken down four planks from the wall of the cabin. Photo: Ingvild Sæbu Vatn / Privat Took butter, sugar and dry yeast – In the end it went through a window which it broke. Then the polar bear entered a small corridor where it smashed and went through an inner door. The polar bear has then entered the kitchen. There it found butter, sugar and dry yeast. – It has tasted most everything it has found. Put it a little outside, but otherwise not damaged so much inside. – There is a possibility that it will return. It can happen, especially at this time. As far as I know it is still in the valley. Sæbu Vatn has also heard several stories about polar bears breaking into cabins. – If it is who I think it is, then it is known for that, she says. The polar bear has specialized in cabin break-ins Jon Aars, polar bear researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute, knows the polar bear in question that has visited cabins in this area. The polar bear cub that accompanied her was born last winter. Aars says that there are polar bears that have specialized in breaking into cabins, and that the bears like to return to cabins they have visited. – The polar bears look for food and wreak havoc inside the cabins. The polar bear can pull things apart and eats a lot. He says that it is not unusual for polar bears to take down panels from the wall, or find their way in through windows. Photo: Jon Aars / Norwegian Polar Institute – Move away if you see a polar bear – The polar bears are probably on the move from cabin to cabin, says Magnar Silseth, chief of staff at Svalbard. The polar bears have recently been inside three cabins. Binnen and the boy have probably stopped by to look at several cabins, says Silseth. He says that the polar bears also seek out cabins in winter. – Sometimes the bear gets through windows which it breaks. But we have also experienced that it has torn down a panel and got in that way. Silseth reminds that people must have the right equipment with them out in the field on Svalbard. – You can meet polar bears, even well inland. You have to be able to scare the polar bear and ensure your own safety. – We encourage everyone to pull away if they see a polar bear. On Friday morning, the polar bears returned to the cabin at Rorgemoen. In the morning, the woman and the child went on. – Grouse hunting starts tomorrow. I think the radius from the cabin will be very limited, unfortunately, he says.
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Polar bear broke into cabins on Svalbard near Longyearbyen – news Troms and Finnmark
