{"id":3927,"date":"2011-02-10T00:23:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-10T00:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/?p=3927"},"modified":"2011-02-10T00:23:00","modified_gmt":"2011-02-10T00:23:00","slug":"kingdom-of-the-polar-bear-the-west-australian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/2011\/02\/kingdom-of-the-polar-bear-the-west-australian\/","title":{"rendered":"Kingdom of the Polar Bear: The West Australian"},"content":{"rendered":"

We cautiously exit the inflatable boat.<\/p>\n

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Ten at a time, we land on the pebbly beach, our guides already well ahead of us, scouting for sightings of the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore.<\/p>\n

The island of Spitsbergen, north of Norway, is one of just a handful of the remaining polar bear hotspots in the world.<\/p>\n

With a world population of this majestic mammal possibly as low as 20,000, there is a real urgency among adventure travellers to see this creature in its native habitat.<\/p>\n

Clutching loaded rifles, our guides are 100m ahead of us making sure we don’t surprise any unseen or sleeping beasts.<\/p>\n

Regulations require guides to carry loaded rifles and flare guns, but in over a decade of operation, Aurora’s expedition staff have only ever fired two warning shots; a testament to good planning, careful observation and prompt action.<\/p>\n

Read Full Story at The West Australian<\/a> <\/p>\n