Witness recalls seeing dozens of polar bears feasting on whale
Dozens of polar bears pictured feasting on a whale carcass were among hundreds that were spotted on the side of a mountain.
Thursday 23 November 2017 20:16, UK
A wildlife expert has told of his shock and surprise after he witnessed first-hand dozens of polar bears eating a bowhead whale carcass that washed up on a coast.
They were among more than 200 of the bears spotted on the side of a mountain on a Russian island in the Arctic.
Alexander Gruzdev, director of the Wrangel Island nature reserve, explained what happened in September's encounter.
"Tourists were being taken on a trip around the reserve when the bears were spotted.
"I went onto an inflatable zodiac boat to get a closer look and take pictures and video.
"Everybody was stunned by the sheer number of bears there. They were a delight and a surprise.
"In recent years, the number of polar bears on the island annually has been stable at around 150-250. But this year is different. The number of bears seen in 2017 is 589.
"There were an estimated 230 bears at the site where the whale carcass was being eaten after it washed up.
"There were male and female bears, some with little bears of all ages, including two female bears with four cubs.
"Why were there so many bears in one spot. Could it be to do with climate change?
"Bears have been known to go to the coast but we have never seen them in such quantities together before.
"It was a completely unique situation and I was gobsmacked.
"I believe the ice has been melting earlier in the year so bears are coming to Wrangel Island to wait for new ice to form in the sea.
"The reserve is only open to the public in August and September and the latest episode has caused more interest among groups.
"But it is not just polar bears that we have here - there are also musk oxen, polar foxes, snowy owls and white geese."