We are back in Russia, where unfortunately massive wildfires are ongoing in several regions of Siberia, at a scale never seen before, covering million of hectares of pristine forest, sparked by unusually dry weather conditions. The coverage though gets so little attention in other parts of the world, where is business as usual, with everyone out for vacations in major cities, failing to grasp the meaning of this and other climate change effects, for all of us, regardless the location…Climate change can wait, vacations not!
In Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula however bears are just preparing for another feast, in anticipation for the yearly salmon run, which as of early July, didn’t yet start! Visibly skinnier after the long winter season, the bears still put safety before hunger, when a large boar makes his appearance on this beach, that is enough to send some even adult bears up in a tree (as heavy bulk is not an issue in early summer days)! Besides, this is an excellent spot for watching both neighbors and coming salmons!
Enjoy some of the great photos taken in July 2019 at Kuril Lake, South Kamchatka Sanctuary!
Wildlife-reporter.com 
I emphasize your words, especially those inherent in the monstrous selfishness and ignorance that is spreading among the multitudes.
Climate change IS A REALITY, we are in it up to our necks and soon it will suffocate us. The sensation of Greta Thunberg caused the people to reason…
for a short while… then some rascals started spreading hoaxes, false news about her and a likely “manipulation” by “adults” around her.
I don’t judge. Not in this case. Unfortunately, I can do very little to change the global situation, I can write, sign petitions, go to events, be an example of behaving respectfully towards nature.
And yet there is no day in which you do not read harrowing news: these horrible fires in different regions of Russia, calamities that kill even thousands of animals, of all species.
Then I also read the news (from some blog I follow https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/2216114/posts/2366779191) that talk about “involving Greenpeace and WWF” in supporting the hunt for polar bears. This type of news is unclear and we are led to misunderstanding; I asked my husband and he explained to me that both environmental groups “are not opposed” to the natives who practice hunting…
Evidently, I who am against all kinds of violence (especially) towards animals that cannot defend themselves, I have my limits of acceptance.
http://www.ladbible.com/news/animals-experts-say-theres-been-a-rise-in-organised-polar-bear-hunts-20190727?fbclid=IwAR0Dp0LIlq-U57E_MKpGKEp4ncYVxETWXxySyUIgF7pQ2_yI5OvH_VpvEtw
Considering that you are also a subject expert, what do you think?
This is also an “overheating effect” as these poor creatures (polar bears) have to be forced to move more towards population centers to look for food. They are hungry, they have faced thousands of kilometers in search of food, they are weak and unable to defend themselves, they are easy prey for hunters (and I am not referring to the natives but to those people who spend thousands of dollars to kill for a sports trophy, not for survival).
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Hi Claudine, thanks for sharing! I absolutely agree with you, no reason can justify even a single individual killing of other species, either for supporting natives or national parks! Regarding your article on the natives trading their governmentally approved rights to kill other species, I can say, that for a long time now since these natives are more connected to global economic system and the mighty dollar, then their culture and traditional values. I saw myself in Kenya the fierce Masai having mobile phones, Facebook accounts, and selling to tourists any animal parts desired for their amateur mini collections…Trends are showing clearly the hopelessness of conservation, but never lose hope, wildlife can rebound from even small pockets of healthy populations of national parks, if opportunity arises. But if I am a middle class, or anything else from the 99 percent majority today, I would show more consideration towards what is happening today, for my own sake at least! Ignorance has never been more dangerous than it is today, at our own peril!
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Have read about the terrible forest fires in Siberia! It is a major natural disaster, even greater because it is in a place where it takes many years more for trees to grow up.
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Thanks John, hope all good on your side! Indeed, even North is no longer safe from wildfires, amazing how fast and at what scale everything moves, this is no longer an issue for next generations, it is our issue, it is now!
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Awesome creatures, and glad to know there’s still places where they are protected in Russia.
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Thank you for your report. Swedish TV-news have told about these fires, but very little. I guess “common people” don´t know about it. And don´t care, either… I hope many swedes are going to watch swedish television to night, three programs about our planet: from Norway, “Planet plast”, from USA “The climate crisis” and from Great Brittain and David Attenborough “Blue planet II, part 7”. I hope they´ll watch and learn. A small hope, I´m afraid…
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As soon as I heard the word “Kamchatka” I immediately thought of Charlie Russell. I met him when he came to Tofino to give a talk about Grizzlies. Unfortunately the two Grizzlies he raised ended up being shot and Charlie himself has moved on as well.
Interrupting a Natural cycle can never end well no matter how good the intentions.
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True, Charlie Russell was a hero among wildlife, I wrote about him in the first part of Kamchatka trip, on this blog! Even if indeed sometimes nothing seems enough, despite all the actions and passion of people like Charlie, we should not give up, wildlife is too precious and this planet is too unique to let it at the mercy of those we only see the very short term benefits of exploiting, mining and poison it…we haven’t even learned what life truly is and we are about to destroy all the miracle of biodiversity, for few paper dollars or simply from ignorance, closing our eyes to the ongoing disaster…
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