A dramatic video captured a man fleeing a charging polar bear in Norway after dropping his gun and hopping onto a snowmobile.
The incident reportedly unfolded in Pyramiden – an Arctic town in the archipelago of Svalbard – in late April.
“I was woken up around midnight with someone saying there was a bear,” Rebecca Baack, who was staying at a hotel, told Storyful. “A staff member was trying to scare it away when the bear charged him.”
Footage taken by Baack begins with the sounds of gunfire and a person running from a polar bear.
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The individual then drops their weapon and jumps onto a snowmobile before speeding away.
As the snowmobile races out of the frame, the polar bear stops its pursuit.
“Damn, that guy is brave,” a female voice is heard saying.
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The Visit Svalbard tourism website describes the polar bear as the “King of the Arctic” and “one of the world’s largest carnivores.”
“Polar bears attack extremely quickly without warning. Be accompanied by a local guide with a firearm when leaving the settlements,” it warns.
“Adult polar bears vary in size from [440 to 1,763 pounds]. Humans are considered alien in the polar bear habitat, and a polar bear may see us as potential prey. The polar bear is incredibly strong and even cubs weighing under [220 pounds] can be extremely aggressive and dangerous,” it also said.
