Hundreds of wildlife specialists across South Africa are debating the sighting of a rare polar bear at Victoria Wharf in Cape Town.
In a blog post on the World Wildlife Fund’s Africa website, Moosha Sharoom from “Save the Polar Bear Fund” said that the polar bear is a native of the Arctic Circle and that the sighting of a polar bear off the coast of Cape Town must be that of the recently escaped bear from the now defunct Garibaldi Circus from Zimbabwe that was purportedly shot dead by a member of the public.
While it is unclear how this polar bear managed to survive the arduous journey south, “Any suggestions as to how it got there are purely theories but the most likely scenario is perhaps that it made landfall several times along the coast and then moved south from there in search of cooler weather and the abundance of seals in Cape Town waters," Moosha Sharoom explained in the blog post. All sightings have shown the animal to be in a good state of health.
A Facebook group called The Cape Town Polar Bear Hunt has been keeping the public updated about the polar bear’s whereabouts and apparently the bear isn’t shy to show off at all.
One group member, Brian Botha, posted a photo of scores of people gathering on a small patch of grass overlooking the river, close to the Berkley Road off ramp, to spot and capture the polar bear on camera (through very long lenses).
Authorities are on the lookout and will capture the animal with a view to rehabilitating it. The public is reminded that polar bears are dangerous and close encounters with this rogue polar bear should be avoided. |