Man in Norway fined for disturbing sleeping polar bear

A person has been fined 50,000 Norwegian kroner in the Svalbard archipelago. The man woke a sleeping polar bear with the foghorn of a ship, the governor of the Arctic archipelago reported on Thursday.

The incident caused the animal to run away. Polar bears have been under special protection in Svalbard since 1972. Anyone who unnecessarily disturbs, attracts, or chases these animals faces severe penalties.

The fine equates to about 4,550 euros. This underscores the strict regulations in the region to protect the local wildlife.