Polar Bears

Although polar bears have historically lived in Kotzebue (the world record polar bear was shot here), they have been out of the region for about 20 years. Most likely due to over-hunting, they moved out of the area and have mostly been living in the North Slope region. However, about a week ago, there was a polar bear that was spotted in Noorvik, which is about 45 miles from here. It was eventually shot because polar bears are extremely aggressive and will attack anyone that they come in contact with. Since the shooting, there have been between 4 and 6 polar bears spotted in the region. We are now all being advised to take caution when out snow-machining (bring a firearm!). Polar bears are different from other bears because they don't hibernate. They are also the most aggressive of all bears. Grizzly bears and black bears are not usually aggressive unless they have cubs with them. Polar bears, however, will literally hunt people down and attack. The city of Barrow, which is the northernmost point in Alaska, has a tradition for Halloween: in order to protect the kids from possible polar bear attacks, they can trick-or-treat from 6-7pm, and during that time the men surround the town with rifles to make sure that not polar bears get in. So, we will definitely be purchasing a pistol before venturing out again!