When a travel blogger launched a drone over Russia's Kolyuchin Island in the Far East, they stumbled upon a startling scene: polar bears had taken over an abandoned research station.
Some bears nudged at the drone, while others lounged on empty corridors and sunlit steps, transforming the deserted buildings into makeshift dens.
This surprising behavior isn't new. In 2021, similar footage showed polar bears wandering into deserted sites, a vivid sign that their icy hunting grounds are disappearing.
As rising temperatures melt the sea ice they rely on, polar bears are pushed ashore in search of food and shelter – only to find that land offers too few resources to sustain them in the long run.
The blogger's drone video is more than a wild encounter; it's a stark reminder that climate change is reshaping the Arctic. When the ice retreats, entire ecosystems – and the global community – feel the impact.
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Polar bears take over abandoned research station for shelter
cgtn.com
