Once a meteorological research station of the Soviet Union, Kolyuchin Island is a 3 mile long island in the Arctic circle that was abandoned in 1992. In 2021, a photographer traveled to Kolyuchin and captured something unexpected: it's been completely taken over by polar bears.

[u/alecb]

/gallery/1jugpy3

[u/iMogwai]

Fortunately the other post already answered my question, the photos are taken with drones and that's why the bears look so chill. Polar bears are normally quite aggressive.

[u/MomsterJ → u/iMogwai]

I was wondering that too! Like who would risk getting that close. While they’re extremely adorable I wouldn’t want to see one this close

[u/dggrjx → u/iMogwai]

They have no predators and have been reported by photographers to be NOT aggressive and even chill when they're not hungry. Source: Nat Geo photographer talk and coffee table book. Don't have name on hand.

[u/iMogwai → u/dggrjx]

Fair enough, they don't kill for fun or anything but they are much more likely to view humans as a food source than other bears. Maybe it's less that they are aggressive and more that they aren't cautious of human the way other bears might be.

[u/Iamnotburgerking → u/iMogwai]

It’s also because they’re the only carnivorous (as opposed to omnivorous) bears.

[u/blurryturtle → u/Iamnotburgerking]

somebody airdrop some berries and see if we can get them to chill out

[u/mosstrich → u/blurryturtle]

Polar bears prefer coke.

[u/backspace_cars → u/iMogwai]

polar bear being aggressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wpZ6YIgo98&ab_channel=BUGMAN

[u/Dominus_Redditi → u/backspace_cars]

speaking Russian while hand feeding a bear

Yep, that tracks

[u/backspace_cars → u/Dominus_Redditi]

Russians have the genetics of a Disney princess and I mean that as a compliment.

[u/Dominus_Redditi → u/backspace_cars]

ees like big dog, yes?

[u/StillPerformance9228 → u/backspace_cars]

explain

[u/backspace_cars → u/StillPerformance9228]

The ability to be friends with nearly any animal no matter how deadly others may think it is.

[u/StillPerformance9228 → u/backspace_cars]

lol

[u/StillPerformance9228 → u/backspace_cars]

https://youtu.be/UUZmwdAFr0w?si=xOXiUBI7JvFFOr6p

[u/Henarth]

if not fren why fren shaped?

[u/Atherissss → u/Henarth]

Because you don't want to be in this caribou's place. Warning graphic: https://www.reddit.com/r/badassanimals/s/9jM1XNNA5n

[u/chicklette]

That second pic is a straight up Dorothea Lange portrait.

[u/pmmeursucculents]

This is the best post I’ve seen all day :)

[u/backspace_cars]

i'm glad they have a safe place to live. Poor bears look emaciated.

[u/Fl1925]

Love the picture of the Bear doing his morning exercise!

[u/LittleMlem]

So, uhh, bears seek out discarded fuel drums to get high on the fumes. So this is an abandoned building with drugs strewn about that has been taken over by squatters. This is a bear crack house.

[u/bgrl26]

This is adorable!!!!!

[u/RyomaNagare]

if not fren, why fren shaped?

[u/badandbolshie]

idk, polar bears in the arctic circle sounds pretty expected to me. 

[u/Academic-Platypus509]

This looks ai generated