US EditionPolar Bears Move Into Abandoned Soviet Research Station
More than a dozen polar bears occupy the deserted Soviet weather station as melting sea ice forces them ashore, increasing interactions with human structures, experts say.
- Approximately 20 polar bears have made their home in the remains of a deserted Soviet-era research facility located on Kolyuchin Island in Russia’s far northeast, within the Chukchi Sea.
- Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the station on Kolyuchin Island was left unused, allowing polar bears to inhabit the deserted facilities.
- Travel blogger Vadim Makhorov filmed the bears using a drone during a sea cruise near Kolyuchin, showing them resting and playing with the drone near the station.
- Makhorov said the bears "appear curious" and have "adapted well" to the structures, while Professor Tom Smith noted polar bears often use abandoned buildings for shelter.
- These behavioral changes reflect broader patterns linked to melting sea ice, causing more polar bears to den on land and increasing human-bear encounters in the region.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)Polar bears take over abandoned Russian research station
A group of polar bears have taken over an abandoned research station off Russia's far eastern coast. The animals have been intimately captured in drone footage taken by Russian traveler and photographer Vadim Makhorov. Makhorov was on a sea cruise in the Chukchi Sea with a group of tourists, when he spotted the polar bears near an abandoned building while he was filming the landscapes of Kolyuchin Island. The animals were using the building as a…
A pack of polar bears has taken over an abandoned research station on Kolyuchin Island off the east coast of Russia. A Russian travel influencer managed to capture the animals on film using a drone.
For several decades, the research station on the Russian island of Koljutschin has not inhabited anyone. Now the building serves as a polar bear residence. A travel blogger has approached the new owners by drone.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
