Published: 1 February, 2008, 05:38
Edited: 1 February, 2008, 05:38
Starting at the beginning of autumn, polar bears begin to migrate across the frozen sea in Russia's north-east, causing some to stray into resident's houses looking for food.
So the bear patrol team of Vladilen Kavra has a tough balancing act. They have to keep people safe without hurting the bears.
“We use rubber bullets so we don't wound the animal. It receives a soft hit and learns a lesson that people's houses are bad places to look for food,” Vladilen Kavra said.
Climate change might be to blame for the routes of migrating animals changing.
The bear patrol was formed a year ago when villagers asked scientists to protect them from frequent bear attacks. But scientists hope that soon these animals will find a safer home.
“We hope that the bears will migrate north, closer to Alaska, where it will be easier to get food and a safer place to live,” Vladilen Kavra, Chukotka region's Bear Control chief added.
Hunting polar bears was banned in 1956, when they were close to extinction. There are nearly 2000 bears in Chukotka region and Vladilen's task is to make sure they are kept well away from the villagers and safe from the poachers.