Outrage Erupts After Authorities Kill First Wild Polar Bear Seen In Iceland Since 2016

We are deeply saddened to report that authorities in Iceland shot and killed a young polar bear last Thursday after it was spotted near a cottage on a remote part of the island. Many conservationists are questioning why the Icelandic Environment Agency chose not to relocate the animal instead.

“It’s not something we like to do,” said Westfjords police chief Helgi Jensson. “In this case…the bear was very close to a summer house. There was an old woman inside.”

Polar bears are not indigenous to Iceland but sometimes drift ashore from Greenland on ice floes. Increased sightings of icebergs off the north coast have been noted in recent weeks, potentially leading to more bear encounters.

While polar bear attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, research indicates that climate change is pushing these hungry animals onto land more frequently, heightening the risk of human-bear conflicts.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, climate change is causing the Arctic to warm at twice the rate of the rest of the planet, leading to a loss of sea ice cover by about 14% each decade. Since the median sea ice extent recorded from 1981 to 2010, we’ve lost roughly 770,000 square miles of ice—an area larger than the combined size of Alaska and California. A 2020 study warned that if current trends continue, polar bears could face extinction within this century due to dwindling sea ice and declining genetic diversity.

Further compounding the issue, a 2021 study in Norway revealed concerning levels of inbreeding among polar bears, a sign of their struggle for survival. Between 1995 and 2016, polar bear genetic diversity in the Svalbard archipelago dropped by 10%, posing a significant risk for the species’ future.

From 1870 to 2014, only 73 polar bear attacks have been recorded in Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States, resulting in 20 fatalities and 63 injuries.

The bear recently killed in Iceland was the first to be spotted in the country since 2016, and sightings remain rare, with only about 600 recorded since the ninth century. Although polar bears are a protected species in Iceland, authorities can take lethal action if they pose a danger to humans or livestock.

In light of past encounters, a task force was appointed in 2008 to evaluate the management of vagrant polar bears. Unfortunately, the group determined that the safest course of action was to euthanize bears posing threats, particularly given the high costs associated with relocating them to Greenland, approximately 300 kilometers (180 miles) away.

The young bear that was shot weighed between 150 and 200 kilograms (300 to 400 pounds) and has been taken to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History for examination. Researchers plan to analyze samples from the bear to check for parasites and assess its overall health, including organ condition and body fat percentage. The pelt and skull may also be preserved for the institute’s collection.

Iceland’s decision to euthanize the polar bear is deeply disappointing and reflects a troubling approach to wildlife management. Relocating vulnerable animals like polar bears instead of resorting to euthanasia offers a more compassionate and sustainable solution. These animals play crucial roles in their ecosystems, and their survival is vital for biodiversity. Relocation can provide them with safer habitats while fostering public awareness about conservation efforts. By prioritizing humane alternatives, we not only protect individual animals but also promote a more balanced relationship between wildlife and human communities.