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Drone Footage Reveals Polar Bears at Abandoned Research Station

10/18/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Vadim Makhorov (photographer) captured drone footage showing polar bears occupying an abandoned Soviet research station on Kolyuchin Island, Russia.
The area has been uninhabited since the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The bears seek shelter from harsh weather and are expected to remain until ice returns.
Nearby, a walrus rookery and other island wildlife are present.
The footage highlights climate change's impact on polar bear behavior.

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Story summary

Vadim Makhorov (photographer) captured drone footage showing polar bears occupying an abandoned Soviet research station on Kolyuchin Island, Russia.
The area has been uninhabited since the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The bears seek shelter from harsh weather and are expected to remain until ice returns.
Nearby, a walrus rookery and other island wildlife are present.
The footage highlights climate change's impact on polar bear behavior.