Villagers in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula were stunned this week by the sight of an exhausted-looking polar bear wandering around (and on top of!) their homes, scavenging for food, hundreds of miles away from its normal habitat. Did climate change cause this? Maybe.
On Wednesday, Russian regional and national media [here's one, here's another, and another] reported the polar bear, who looks emaciated and very tired from their ordeal, somehow wandered into Tilichiki village, roughly 700 km/430 miles south of Kamchatka.
Here's video of the poor feller poking around homes in the little village, video posted by Kamchatka Krai on IG.
View this post on Instagram
DNf D DNN .... DDDND^1 D1/4DDD^2DDN N D^2D3/4NDNDNDDNN DD3/4NDDDDNN DD D3/4DNDDDD DD3/4NDDDD DDDDNDDD DDNND3/4NNDD3/4D^3D3/4 NDD^1D3/4DD. DDNDDDNDND^1 DDN DDD1/4NDNDD N...DNDDD D^2ND^3DNDDN D3/4DDNNDDDDDND1/4 D DD NfN...D3/4DDN D3/4N DDNDDDDDD3/4D^3D3/4 DNfDDND. D-D NNfDD3/4NNDDD1/4 D^3D3/4NNDD1/4 DD3/4NND3/4NDDD3/4 NDDDDN DD3/4DDNDD^1NDDD^1 DDNNNfDN D D3/4N...D3/4NDDDD, ND3/4D3/4DNDDD DD3/4NNDNDD3/4DDDDNNf DD^3DDNNND^2D DDDDDDDD-DDDDDD DDD1/4D^3DDD^2N DDNND3/4NNDD3/4D^3D3/4 NDD^1D3/4DD DD^2DNDDDD DNfDDNDD^2D. D-D^2DNN DND3/4DDD Nf DD3/4NDDDD D^2 D^2D3/4NDNDNDDND, D D^2DNDNNf DNNDNfD D^2 D^2D3/4DNf, D D1/4N DNfD1/4DDD, NND3/4 NfDDND. DDDDDDD3/4NN, NND3/4 DDN. DNDNND NNfNDD N...D3/4DDN Nf DD3/4NDDDD. DDD3/4D^3DD DNNNDN D^2 DDDDD^2, D^2DDDD1/4D3/4, DD NNDD3/4D^1. DD3/4 DDDDND^1 NDD D^2D3/4DD^2NDNDDNNN. D-D^2DNN DD DD^3NDNNDD^2DND^1, DD3/4 DD D^3DDDDN... NDDDDDN. D'ND^3DNDDN D3/4DDNNDDDDDND1/4, DND DNDDDDDDN DD DDNDDDNN DDDNf, D^2DDDD1/4D3/4, DD3/4D^2NDDDD. DD3/4DDD DD DD3/4DNNN D D3/4DD DD DDD^3D3/4 NDDD^3DNNfNN D^2DD3/4DDD D1/4DNDD3/4, DD DDD DD DNfNNN... D1/4DDD^2DDDD^1, - NDNNDDDDDD DD^2DNDDDD DNfDDNDD^2D. - DN DNDDNfDNDDDDD DNDDD^1, NND3/4DN D3/4DD DD DD3/4ND1/4DDD DD^2DNN D^2 DD3/4NDDDD. DDD^3D3/4DDN DNDD^2DDDD DD D3/4DNDDDNf NNDNf, NND3/4DN D1/4DDD^2DDN DD3/4DD, DDDNDDNN NDD. DDDDD D1/4N D3/4DNDNDDDNN N DND3/4NNDD3/4D^1 DNDNDDNN DDD1/4 NDDNDDDNDD3/4D NDD3/4ND^2D3/4NDD3/4D, NND3/4DN NfNNDDNN DD^2DNN D D^2ND^2DDND DD^3D3/4 D^2 DDDDNDDNfN D1/4DNNDD3/4NNN, DDDNND DD NDD^2DN. DD3/4DDN, D3/4NNNfDD DD1/4Nf DND3/4ND DNfDDN DD3/4DNDNNNN DD DNfDD3/4NDNf. D-DDNN D3/4D DD D3/4NDDDNDNNfDNNN ND3/4D^2NDD1/4. D-DDD1/4, DDDDD DNfDNfN NfDDDDDDN D3/4N DDDDNDND3/4DN D D3/4N...D3/4ND3/4D^2DDD3/4D^2. DDNND1/4D D^2D3/4 D^2ND DDNNDDNDD D1/4N DDDDNDDD. DDNNDND D^2DDNND DNDDDDNN, NND3/4 NDNNfDNDN DDNNDDDDNNDDN. DD3/4NDDNND^2D3/4D^2DNN N NDDDD1/4D DNDNDD3/4DDDDDND1/4D N...DNDDDDD1/4D DDNDDND1/4 DD3/4NDDDD DDDDNDDD DND DD DNDN...D3/4DDDD3/4NN. DDD^1NDN DDDND^1 D1/4DDD^2DDN DDN...D3/4DDNNN DD3/4D DD3/4NND3/4NDDND1/4 DNDND1/4D3/4NND3/4D1/4 DD3/4DDNDD^1NDD3/4D^3D3/4 DDNNNfDN D D3/4N...D3/4NDDDD3/4D^2. DDD ND3/4D3/4DNDDD DDDDDDDD-DDDDDD D^2 DDDNfNDD3/4D^1 NDNND DD3/4DDNDD, D^2 NDNfNDD, DNDD D1/4DDD^2DDN DD3/4DNNDDNNN DNDDDDDDNNNN D DNDND1/4, DNfDNfN D3/4ND^3D3/4DNNN DD^3D3/4 D^2NNNNDDDD1/4D D^2 D^2D3/4DDNfN.... DD3/4DD DD^2DNN DD^3NDNNDD DD DND3/4ND^2DNDN, - ND3/4D3/4DNDD DD^3DDNNND^2Nf DDDNfNDND^1. DDD ND3/4D3/4DNDDD3/4NN NDDDD, DDDND^1 D1/4DDD^2DDN DD3/4ND^2DDNN Nf DD3/4NDDDD DD3/4NN, D DDNDD1/4 Nf DD3/4NDDDD DDDDNDDD 14 DDNDDN. DD3/4 NDD3/4D^2DD1/4 D1/4DNNDNN... DDNDDDD^1, DDDND^1 D1/4DDD^2DDN D^2DDND^2ND DDNDD D^2 DD3/4NDDDD DDNND3/4NNDD3/4D^3D3/4 NDD^1D3/4DD. D"D3/4 NND3/4D^3D3/4 NDD^2DNDNN... N...DNDDDD3/4D^2 DDD3/4D^3DD D^2NNNDNDDD DDNDD3/4DNDD3/4 NDD D^2 NfNNNNN... NDD. . . #DDD1/4NDNDD #D1/4DDD^2DDN #DDDND^1D1/4DDD^2DDN #NDDDNDDD #DD3/4NN #DDD1/4NDNNDDD^1DNDD^1 #D3/4DNND3/4NNDDD^1NDD^1D3/4D #ND3/4NNDN #NfD1/4DD #wwf @wwf #wwflexplan @wwfrussia @wwf_deutschland @wwfspain @wwfco #ND3/4NNDN #D1/4DDD^2DDD
A post shared by 
(@kamchatskiy_sever) on Apr 16, 2019 at 1:29am PDT
From the Associated Press:
Environmentalists say the bear could have lost its bearings while drifting on an ice floe.
Locals are making it feel welcome, giving it some fish.
Authorities in Kamchatka are preparing a rescue effort later this week, in which they will use a sedative to put the bear to sleep and then airlift it to Chukotka in a helicopter.
More photos from Russian media, and videos from social media observers right in the area of the incident, below.
[via @APDiploWriter, image at top of post: @kamchatskiy_sever]