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Two dead polar bears in early 2020: criticism and investigations

Posted on 10. December 2021 by Rolf Stange

In early 2020, two polar bears died under the hands of Norwegian authorities within just a few weeks: one was shot in the early morning hours of 01 January by the police (Sysselmester; then Sysselmannen) several kilometres away from town, although it was not an emergency situation. According to an official press release, anaesthetization and transportation to a remoter area were not available because relevant personell was not available because of the Christmas holidays (click here to read more about this case).

Only a few weeks later, on 30 January, another polar bear died during helicopter transport after anaesthetization (click here and here to read more about this case).

It does not surprise that both cases were met with a lot of public criticism. Norwegian authorities looked into the case, especially the second one, and came to the conclusion that there was not enough competence present to handle the procedure of anaesthetizing a polar bear in this given case and that the procedures were generally not good enough. There was, for example, no vet present when the polar bear was anaesthetized although vets were present in Longyearbyen and could have been called to assist on short notice (click here to read more about official investigations and criticism of this case).

anaesthetized polar bear and helicopter Longyearbyen

Preparation of an anaesthetized polar bear near Longyearbyen (2016).

In addition, the Norwegian Bureau for the Investigation of Police Affairs (“Spesialenheten for politisaker”) started official investigations later in 2020. Both Sysselmannen (governor and police; today known as Sysselmester) and the Norwegian Polar Institute, an authority directly involved in such cases to provide advice and actually carry out relevant parts of the handling, were suspect of negligence.

In the end, a report was published recently, concluding that the criminal investigation was closed because there was no evidence for criminally liable behaviour. But the report mentions relevant mistakes and inadequate routines and commits the Sysselmester to improve the routines.

It is remarkable that the Norwegian Bureau for the Investigation of Police Affairs actually took up the case, and the result is, at best, a second-class verdict of not guilty. Definitely anything but a compliment for Sysselmester and Norwegian Polar Institute, the authorities who are officially deciding on and handling polar bears in relevant cases. It can be assumed that both polar bears might still be alive given proper handling of those cases.

So far, Norwegian policy and practical handling from official side don’t seem to know more options in such cases than scaring polar bears away with cars, snow mobiles or helicopters – a practice about which critics say that it actually teaches polar bears who don’t run away immediately that it is not dangerous to be in the vicinity of people and loud vehicles – and then, anaesthetization and transport or a deadly bullet. Non-lethal deterrents such as pepper spray or pepper projectiles or rubber bullets, which may make it very clear to a bear that being in the vicinity of people isn’t a good thing without actually injuring or even killing the animal, are not (yet?) part of the toolbox that those who handle these cases on official behalf seem to have considered a lot. It appears that there is still a lesson to be learnt and room for improvement.

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