
Arctic residents will be warned about the polar bear with light and sound
The village of Amderma is home to about 250 people. The settlement is located on the coast of the Kara Sea and has been frequently visited by polar bears in recent years. The Polar Bear Patrol team is engaged in driving predators away. This year, from July to August, the Polar bear patrol was on duty almost every day to ensure the safety of the locals and tried to drive the bears away from the village on their way.
This year a new team joined Polar Bear Patrol. Now the security of the village is provided by 5 people. Thanks to the help of WWF supporters winter and summer suits, ammunition, deterrents, walkie-talkies and fuel were purchased for the effective and safe work of volunteers.
There is a school and a kindergarten in the village. WWF-Russia experts handed over the key fobs with the patrolmen phone numbers for operational communication, held a meeting with the schoolchildren, once again reminded them of the safety rules when encountering a polar bear and talked about the new warning system.
The Polar Bear Patrol in Amderma is working effectively, according to local residents. Several times this year, they had to drive polar bears away from the village for long distances and even save reindeer herders in the tundra from a polar bear attack.
Also, experts from WWF-Russia donated a snowblower to the kindergarten to make snow removal easier so that there are no “blind spots” around the building because of the snowdrifts. Video surveillance system has been repaired to assess the situation on the street from the inside. Now, before going outside, children and adults can make sure that the polar bear is not around.