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Home* News and Stories → Dead­ly polar bear attack in Tem­pel­fjor­den

Dead­ly polar bear attack in Tem­pel­fjor­den

In August 2011, one per­son died and four other ones were serious­ly inju­red under a polar bear attack on a camp in Tem­pel­fjord (see August 2011 news on this site for fur­ther details). The Nor­we­gi­an poli­ce has now published a report on the tech­ni­cal con­di­ti­on of the safe­ty equip­ment. Both the alarm fence and the rif­le had fai­led, which con­tri­bu­ted to the tra­gic out­co­me of the inci­dent. Four attempts to shoot the bear fai­led, the bear was shot with a fifth car­tridge, which had been in the rif­le befo­re, but had been ejec­ted wit­hout firing and was then found on the ground.

Accor­ding to the Nor­we­gi­an poli­ce, both the rif­le and the alarm fence work­ed when hand­led pro­per­ly. As had been assu­med befo­re, it seems now safe to say that misu­sa­ge of the alarm fence and the rif­le con­tri­bu­ted to the tra­gic deve­lo­p­ment. Based on the infor­ma­ti­on available, it is howe­ver impos­si­ble to say if it might have been pos­si­ble to shoot the bear befo­re the vic­tim was kil­led. The bear was extre­me­ly aggres­si­ve and the attack went very rapidly.

Mau­ser-style rif­les are com­mon­ly used for pro­tec­tion against polar bears in Spits­ber­gen.

Deadly polar bear attack in Tempelfjorden - Rifles

Source: Sys­sel­man­nen

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last modification: 2014-07-01 · copyright: Rolf Stange
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