Wanted: polar bear spotter – must have good eyesight

[Jazzy]

Anyone with a sense of adventure, keen eyesight and a few weeks to spare this summer might consider an unusual job being offered on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard – polar bear spotter.

The lucky applicant will be expected to watch the backs of scientists as they go about their research in the snowbound valleys and mountains of the islands, which lie between Norway and the North Pole.

The month-long job, which starts on July 8, requires good eyes – spotting a white polar bear as it lumbers towards you against a backdrop of ice and snow takes concentration – and a familiarity with firearms.

An itchy trigger finger will not be welcome, however – the Governor's Office says that in most cases it is sufficient to scare off the bears by shouting, firing flares or banging pots and pans. Shooting a charging bear is a last resort.

The spotter is likely to be kept busy – Svalbard's human population of 2,400 is outnumbered by a polar bear population of more than 3,000.

The unspoilt Norwegian territory is one of the few places in the world where the polar bear population is increasing.

Polar bears are formidable predators and one of the few mammals capable of attacking and killing humans.

The bears are protected by law and can only be shot in self-defence. Anyone venturing outside the archipelago's scattered settlements is advised to carry a rifle in case of attack. Tourists who take part in ski expeditions, husky sled rides, glacier walks and snowmobile and ice caving trips are protected by guides carrying firearms.

A fully grown male bear can weigh up to 1,700lb.

The job opening comes two years after British public schoolboy Horatio Chapple, 17, was mauled to death by a polar bear, when it entered his tent.

Source

Any takers?

 

[Evil Eye]

No thanks. Seems a bit chilly.

 

[Nikki]

These scientists are entering Polar Bear territory not the other way around. These Polar Bears belong there. The scientists don't. Yet if a Polar Bear approaches too close, it could be killed. I would never be able to shoot and kill one of these bears.