A polar bear in Kaktovik, Alaska was caught rummaging in a homeowner's barrel of seal oil on Friday. The large bear was shooed away by a roving polar bear patrol crew. Hold up—what? Tell us more about that polar bear patrol part.
The town of 300 has a staff of part-time members who make sure to keep those enormous bears (with transparent fur!) in check. No pesky bears drinking up all the oil.
In this case, part-time polar bear patrol staffer Ruby Kaleak was called in to solve the problem. Via the Alaska Dispatch-News:
"We parked and looked all over for bears," Kaleak said. "I myself was about to jump out of the truck and go check inside the arctic entryway."
Just then, she saw a shadow. From inside the entryway, the head of a polar bear popped up. Its body filled the doorframe.
"I was shocked. It was humongous," Kaleak said. "Just the neck and head was half the size of me, and I'm 5 (feet) 2 (inches )."
The 81-year-old homeowner, Betty Brower, called to report the bear while she hid under a large window. Kaleak and her hero coworker were able to shoo the bear off, but not before the bear tried to get back in the house.
[Image via Alaska Dispatch-News]
