Polar bears move into abandoned Arctic weather station...

...in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Federation

Photographer Dmitry Kokh discovered polar bears living in an abandoned weather station in Kolyuchin, in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Federation, while on a trip to Wrangel Island, a Unesco-recognised nature reserve that serves as a refuge to the animals

by Dmitry Kokh

Preparations for the expedition to Wrangel took nearly two years

One day, bad weather was expected and the captain approached a small island

Kolyuchin is known for the polar weather station that operated on it in Soviet times.

Though the station was closed in 1992, the abandoned village still stands on the island.

The stormy wind and rain and the neglected buildings on the rocky shores...

... all served to make everything happening seem surreal.

The bears walked around the houses and among barrels left on the island

There were about 20 animals in sight at the same time, mostly males.

The females kept to the side with their cubs, closer to the shores of the island.

It was too dangerous to land on the island that day

so I took pictures from a drone equipped with special low-noise propellers.


Photographer Dmitry Kokh discovered polar bears living in an abandoned weather station in Kolyuchin, in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of the Russian Federation, while on a trip to Wrangel Island, a Unesco-recognised nature reserve that serves as a refuge to the animals

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