Researchers out to hire £400,000 polar bear counter

Arctic researchers have faced a backlash from environmental campaigners after advertising work as a polar bear spotter in Siberia.

The Arctic Research and Design Centre for Offshore Developments is looking for a researcher to count polar bears in up to 25 groups living in the Kara Sea.

Applicants will be required to count bears, place collars on females and take blood samples in temperatures as low as -46°C.

They have faced criticism however from members of Green Peace as the research is being backed by oil giants ExxonMobil and Rosneft.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ben Ayliffe, Head of Greenpeace’s Arctic campaign, says: “If you look at the deal struck by Rosneft and ExxonMobil the drilling blocks actually impinge on protected areas.

“In the Kara Sea the blocks that they will be drilling impinge on a supposedly protected Russian national park, an area that’s supposed to be sacrosanct.”

He added that other planned drilling regions included polar bear breeding sites.

“So it’s ironic that they are advertising for polar bear spotters when they are actually planning to drill in the nursery for polar bears in the Arctic.”

Image courtesy of Flickr user Isteelight