Polar bear kills Brit

**tankie** · 05 Aug 11,, 14:11

A British expedition to Norway has ended in tragedy after a polar bear killed one person and seriously injured four others.
A party of around 80 on a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) trip were camping on a remote glacier when the attack took place early on Friday morning.
The four injured, who include two leaders of the trip, are being flown to Tromso in Norway for treatment.
The BSES, which is based in Kensington, west London, has so far not released the name of the dead person.
It said those injured were trip leaders Michael Reid and Andrew Ruck, as well as two young men - Patrick Flinders and Scott Smith.
"There were about 80 people all told in the expedition. The young people are all between 16 and 23," a BSES spokeswoman said

What I find horrifying about this is that the area is a known place where bears are prolific and its known as a birthing area according to a Norwegian spokesman on the BBC today , normally expeditions like this are supporterd by adult guides who are armed and know fine well the dangers ,were the 2 injured leaders guides who tried to tackle the bear ??? I will watch this calamity develop as more is known ,,,,,wait,out

RIP.

**Chogy** · 05 Aug 11,, 14:58

What a tragedy. A trip that was supposed to be an exciting experience turns to horror.

We can't assume that the guides were unarmed. It'd be irresponsible NOT to be. I think the problem might have come from an attack that is swift and sudden. Especially in low light, a bear could be on the party in a heartbeat.

Alaskan guides in bear territory carry some heavy firepower, and lone fishermen often pack a .44 magnum, which probably is on the too-light side.

**dave lukins** · 05 Aug 11,, 15:10

I would have thought an expedition of this size would require Government permission and very strict guide lines to follow. Polar bears will actively seek out prey and humans are part of that prey.

Condolences to the family of the dead person and a speedy recovery to the injured, not forgetting the survivors who may well need counseling for some time to come.

**tankie** · 05 Aug 11,, 18:20

Originally Posted by Chogy

What a tragedy. A trip that was supposed to be an exciting experience turns to horror.

We can't assume that the guides were unarmed. It'd be irresponsible NOT to be. I think the problem might have come from an attack that is swift and sudden. Especially in low light, a bear could be on the party in a heartbeat.

Alaskan guides in bear territory carry some heavy firepower, and lone fishermen often pack a .44 magnum, which probably is on the too-light side.

True chogy , apparently the bear was shot dead , more info is needed before our assumptions can be made , but as is pointed out the bear can be swift /cunning and has a hunters instinct ,BUT , the party should have been under the protectorate of pros ,,, will just have to wait n see .

**tankie** · 06 Aug 11,, 12:15

Apparently the attack was very swift and the leaders were armed ?? people are asking questions tho ,its been revealed everyone was asleep[ in their tents , there should have been guards posted knowing the climate they were in IMO tragic .

RIP .

**dave lukins** · 06 Aug 11,, 14:38

Originally Posted by tankie

Apparently the attack was very swift and the leaders were armed ?? people are asking questions tho ,its been revealed everyone was asleep[ in their tents , there should have been guards posted knowing the climate they were in IMO tragic .

RIP .

Correct Eric. Having no security against a predetor such as a polar bear seems folly at the highest level. The horse has bolted and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

**Monash** · 06 Aug 11,, 14:40

Tragic end for a young adventurer and his family. My understanding is that local guides accompanying such parties are armed with large calibre rifles as a last resort but when stopped for the night tents are protected by a system of trip lines rigged to "noise makers" (I think blank cartridges) that are set up around the camp. These nearly always scare of the bear and in any case alert the campers to the approach of an animal when they detonate. The big question is this case is how the bear got past these trip lines without setting of a warning shot.

**tankie** · 06 Aug 11,, 16:54

Originally Posted by Monash

Tragic end for a young adventurer and his family. My understanding is that local guides accompanying such parties are armed with large calibre rifles as a last resort but when stopped for the night tents are protected by a system of trip lines rigged to "noise makers" (I think blank cartridges) that are set up around the camp. These nearly always scare of the bear and in any case alert the campers to the approach of an animal when they detonate. The big question is this case is how the bear got past these trip lines without setting of a warning shot.

I can understand the logic there m8y , looks like some people have disregarded some basic rules then , it aint too hard to put trips around a camp and looking at the pics of the camp it was easy to do that ??? more Qs need to be asked and addressed .