Bear with us: Beloved Hammerfest mascot gets horrifying makeover, locals laugh (PHOTOS)

The polar bear statue that has proudly stood at the gates of Hammerfest, Norway since 1993, recently underwent a makeover and locals are both horrified and doubled over in laughter, though some worry it may scare tourists away.

The town mascot, which also features on its municipal coat of arms, was taken down after it was severely damaged in a ferocious storm that battered the town in December 2016. Oddly enough, the beast had been defanged and declawed, among other “injuries.”

It has emerged from hibernation with what can only be described as a frightening facelift, much to the consternation of the 10,000 or so local residents.

While some thought the bear looked “cool” (RT has yet to verify whether this pun was intentional or not), the prevailing consensus was that the new look ranged from scary to terrifying and just plain “cruel.”

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Some even insinuated the bear might be suffering from “powerful withdrawal of some kind.”

Others speculated the new bear was the result of a relationship between a polar playboy and a panda.

Bilskade and Lakk Hammerfest, the company responsible for the new look, claims the darkening around the eyes was unintentional and it has already begun work to restore the bear to its former glory.

“It has gotten darker since we delivered it. The owner wanted more colouring on the muzzle and around the eyes, but it seems that it went too far. We have been in contact with the owner and said we can help him get it nicer,” manager Krister Sørnes told national broadcaster NRK.

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