With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Archeologist shoots dead rampaging polar bear

A Danish archeologist shot dead a polar bear that attacked and severely clawed his colleague during a dig in Greenland, the museum that employs them said Wednesday.

Bjarne Groennov killed the animal after it threw fellow expert Jens Fog Jensen to the ground in the incident on Saturday, said the National Museum of Denmark.

"It was a shocking experience but in such a situation we are just glad to get out alive and more or less unharmed," Jensen was quoted by the museum as saying on his return to Denmark after treatment in Iceland.

Jensen was taking notes on Clavering island in northeast Greenland when "suddenly the polar bear came out from behind the rocks, just 10 or 15 metres away from him," the museum said.

Groennov shouted out to warn him and Jensen tried to run away, but "the bear chased him and threw him to the ground before biting him and clawing his arms and legs."...
Read entire article at AFP