56 polar bears crowd Russian village for food

More than 50 polar bears have gathered on the edge of a village in Russia’s far north, environmentalists and residents said, as weak Arctic ice leaves them unable to roam. The Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund said climate change was to blame, as unusually warm temperatures prevented coastal ice from forming. The WWF said 56 polar bears had gathered in a one-square-kilometre area near the village of Ryrkaipy in Chukotka on the northeastern tip of Russia. There were concerns they could enter the village of fewer than 1,000 people for food. Russia’s weather service said temperatures in the region should fall from today and that coastal ice should freeze by December 11.