RESEARCHER GETS SURPRISE VISIT BY POLAR BEARS IN THE ARCTIC WHILE MAKING BREAKFAST

The Arctic is home to many unusual animals, yet few people have the opportunity of ever seeing these creatures up close. While preparing breakfast at her research station on the small island of Spitsbergen in late March, meteorologist Katarzyna Kudłacz saw a few guests observing her from outside the window. She noticed that her curious guests were polar bears when she turned to face them.

Since many similar animals reside in the region, Kudłacz and her fellow researchers at the Polish Polar Station Hornsund are familiar with these animals. However, the researchers are cautious to maintain their distance because they are wild creatures. Kudłacz and her colleagues were a little taken aback because it is considerably less common for the bears to approach the windows of their station. Fortunately, they used noisemakers to gently drive the bears—a mother and two of her cubs—away from their station.

With the comment, "We didn't need coffee to wake us up this morning," the research station shared images and a video from their meeting on Facebook. Kudłacz is unlikely to forget her encounter with the inquisitive bears anytime soon. The meteorologist remarks, "It was a beautiful experience." "But it's also a little worrisome."