Polar bears on a Russian island in the Arctic Ocean are scaring people. At least 52 bears walk around a town. The situation is serious. Bears have chased people into their homes. The town called a "polar bear emergency". It said: "The people are scared. They are frightened to leave homes....Parents are afraid to let their children go to school." One person said: "I have been [here] since 1983, but there have never been so many polar bears."
The bears are looking for food because the sea ice is melting. Climate change is one reason for this. The bears can smell food in bins outside homes. The town wants to kill the animals to reduce the danger, but Russia's environmental agency said no. Polar bears are a vulnerable species. The World Wildlife Fund says they are in danger. This is because of the "loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change".