Norway to count its bears

Norway’s polar bear population will be the subject of a census this year. Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute told Norwegian Broadcasting Company that the size of Norway’s polar bear population has largely been based on sheer guesswork.

“This is the first time that the authorities will go in and create a credible overview of the polar bear population in the Arctic,” said Jon Aars of the Polar Institute .

Previous estimates have put the polar bear population between 2,000 and 5,000 animals in the Norwegian and Russian areas of the Arctic.

Polar bears have been protected by law in Norway since 1973, following years of hunting that reduced the population by half.

Aars said he and fellow researchers also hope to learn how polar bears and their main prey, ringed seals, are affected by changes in the global climate.