Drone captures bears at an abandoned research station
In a striking late-summer scene, a group of polar bears has moved into an abandoned Soviet polar research station on Kolyuchin Island, a remote outpost off Russia’s far northeastern coast. The site sits in the Chukchi Sea, where scientists once studied polar conditions before the Soviet era ended. A travel blogger, using a drone to document the visit, filmed bears wandering through the scattered buildings and resting in the shelter they provide from the wind and weather.
What the footage shows
The video, shot on a sunlit Arctic day, captures bears entering and exiting the derelict structures, sniffing at doorways and poking their heads from windows. One bear even charged toward the drone’s frame briefly, a reminder that curiosity has its risks in these frozen landscapes. “I think they see these houses as shelter from the wind, rain and other things,” the uploader, Vadim Makhorov, said as he watched the animals explore the ruins.
Bear behavior and social notes
Polar bears are usually solitary creatures, but researchers note that their social lives aren’t entirely devoid of interaction. In stretches when food is abundant or territory margins are loose, bears may tolerate each other in shared spaces. Makhorov’s footage aligns with this idea, showing multiple individuals on and around the island, with the bears appearing to regulate distance among themselves as they search for food and shelter. He estimated more than 20 bears were active on the island itself, a number that underscores the scale of the Arctic population gathering in unusual onshore spots during the melt season.
Why bears are coming ashore
The retreat of sea ice—driven by longer-term climate trends—has pushed polar bears to spend more time on land each summer. When ice is thin or absent, these apex predators must hunt on the coast or forage inland, often concentrating along pockets of available food. Makhorov also recalled a previous year when a whale carcass drew more than 200 polar bears to a single site; the ensuing feeding was orderly, with visitors noting that “everybody ate, no-one disturbed anyone.”
A broader pattern in the Russian Arctic
Experts say the trend of bears wandering toward settlements is part of a wider shift caused by warming temperatures and melting sea ice. In Russia’s Arctic, the International Union for Conservation of Nature recognizes four polar bear subpopulations named after the seas they inhabit: Barents, Kara, Laptev and Chukchi. Each group faces unique pressures, from prey availability to habitat loss, but the shared thread is the need for resilient strategies as climate change reshapes the bears’ traditional ranges and behaviors.
Safety, space, and conservation implications
As encounters between humans and polar bears become more common near towns and research posts, communities have adapted with practical safeguards. Window bars with spikes and “bear slippers”— boards with nails placed to deter entry—are among the measures used to protect buildings and people. While bears can display sociable traits in certain contexts, the overarching message from researchers remains clear: easing climate-related pressures is essential to preserving Arctic ecosystems and reducing risky human-wildlife interactions.
Bottom line
The abandoned station on Kolyuchin Island offers a stark snapshot of a warming Arctic where polar bears increasingly explore human-made refuges in search of shelter and food. The footage captured by Makhorov highlights both the resilience and vulnerability of this iconic species as it adapts to a rapidly changing planet.
