A remote Russian region has declared a state of emergency over the 'invasion' of dozens of polar bears in its human settlements.
Authorities in the Novaya Zemlya islands, home to a few thousand people, say there are cases of bears attacking people and entering residential and public buildings and in a statement have appealed for help to tackle "a mass invasion of polar bears into inhabited areas".
Russian authorities have refused to grant permission to shoot the bears but will send a taskforce to assess the situation.
Russia classes them as endangered and hunting them is banned.
The polar bears, having become convinced they are safe, no longer react to light and noise signals or attempts to drive them away with patrol cars and dogs.
Since December last year, 52 polar bears have visited the archipelago's main settlement, Belushya Guba, with six to 10 remaining in the village and some displaying "aggressive behaviour", local official Alexander Minaev said in a report to authorities.
"People are scared, afraid to leave the house … parents are afraid to let their children go to schools and kindergarten," he said.
The loss of Arctic sea ice due to climate change is the primary threat to polar bears and contributes to nutritional stress according to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Polar Bear Specialist group.
Polar bears are increasingly forced onto land to look for food.
ABC/Wires
