Target: Ellen Hambro, Director General of the Norwegian Environment Agency
Goal: Protest the killing of a polar bear defending its home.
A man suffered serious injury and was near-death, while a critically endangered animal lost its life. This is the latest legacy from unneeded, dangerous tourism practices in the Arctic. Now, the one snapshot tourists of a German cruise ship will likely remember will not be an image of beautiful mountains, snow, and tundra. Rather, the lasting picture from this excursion will be the bloodied carcass of a polar bear shot by the sea.
The tragedy unfolded when a German-based Hapag-Lloyd Cruises ship took tourists to a group of islands near the North Pole–islands often dubbed an ‘Arctic fairy tale’ for their wondrous scenery. Fairy tale would soon turn to genuine nightmare, however, when polar bear guards (individuals meant to block a harmful encounter with the native bears) disembarked ahead of the tour group. After a bear spotted one of the guards encroaching on its habitat, it allegedly charged at the man and wounded him. The other guards had allegedly tried other methods to scare away the polar bear before tragically resorting to deadly force.
While this incident may have been unavoidable in the moment, the true outrage lies in such a potentially deadly and dangerous situation being allowed in the first place. Scientists have long warned that climate change, melting ice, and subsequent changes in food supplies are essentially forcing polar bears into territories where human encounters and aggression levels are higher. Officials in these regions post plentiful warnings about the dangers of polar bear encounters, but they still enable, and even seemingly encourage, reckless tourist intrusions.
Sign this petition to demand those responsible for preserving these picturesque lands put protection ahead of profit and curb activities that will facilitate more slaughter.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director General Hambro,
A polar bear mauls a camping man in the back, dragging him away from friends. Another bear attacks an ‘adventurer’ group. The German cruise line employees who allegedly shot an attacking bear likely had similar flashes of doom streaking through their minds when they took deadly action.
Who put them in this position, caught between killing a critically endangered animal or saving the life of one of their own? When you sanction so much tourist activity in these wildlands, do you think about he individuals killed and maimed, or the many more polar bears that have faced a sudden death in the past few decades? Do you consider how each of these ‘necessary’ deaths diminishes just a little more a population that even now exists only in the low thousands?
If these questions have plagued you, or do plague you now in the wake of the most recent tragedy, please take action. Reevaluate the tourism policies that are further endangering a cherished native creature already driven from its habitat by climate change and human inaction.
Save the polar bears. Save lives.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Flickr Favorites
I hope that man that encroached into polar bear territory dies from his wounds. He and those scumbags that murderer the bear are responsible for the bear’s death.Sammy, please make the petition and put in the details. Those breeders need to be locked up for life and get their sh*t pushed in daily or just execute the breeders that do this barbarity.
I hope that man that encroached into polar bear territory dies from his wounds. He and those scumbags that murderer the bear are responsible for the bear’s death. Oh and those that murdered the bear need to be executed! READ THIS. The above has some unnecessary info.
I agree Vince!! All animal abusers should be killed!!
PLEASE SAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL BEARS. STOP THE KILLING. The people in this world are disgusting putting profit before a life. One way or another these poor bears have a snowball chance in hell to survive, thanks to mankind and greed.
TRUE
Yet another case of human entertainment coming before the lives of these dear, precious animals.
Keep these effing Bone Heads away from the place – let them go take pictures of that useless tourist attraction in Washington
Io spero che chi uccide gli orsi muoia tra i tormenti perché è quello che si merita
You went and killed him in his house.He did,t come to you. You should be put in jail for encroaching on others.
When are we humans going to stop slaughtering all of the wild animals whose habitats we keep encroaching all for the love of entertainment and sport?? The almighty dollar rears it’s ugly head again and again.