Dmitry Kokh's 1,200-mile expedition looked like a failure. He had set out for Wrangel IslandSimilar in size to Crete, it is the last place that woolly mammoths are known to have survived. They finally died out around 4,000 years ago. in the Chukchi SeaA remote area of the Russian Arctic. to photograph polar bears. But when he arrived, there were none to be seen. Then, he had luck while sailing past a smaller island called Kolyuchin. "We saw some movements in the windows of the abandoned houses. And when we got close - those were bears!"

The houses belonged to an old meteorologicalMeteorology is the science of weather. station. Dmitry found bears leaning out of the windows, resting on porches and lounging on the surrounding grass. "Nature always sends you something when you least expect it," he says. "That was a once in a lifetime situation."

Humans and bears have a complicated relationship. Lord ByronAn English poet (1788 - 1824) known for both beautiful short lyrics and entertaining epic poems. famously took a bear with him when he went to Cambridge as a student, because the rules said he could not take a dog. He wrote: "I have got a new friend, the finest in the world, a tame bear."

But bears and people have reason to fear each other. People kept bears in captivity for hundreds of years. And hunting bears is still a popular pastime in countries such as the US. 

Bear attacks on humans are rare, but the number has increased in recent years. Three people were killed on the Japanese island of HokkaidoThe second largest of the islands that make up Japan. It is mountainous and heavily forested. in the first six months of 2021. According to a local scientist, "The reason for the rise in victims is that brown bearsSlightly smaller than polar bears, they are found mainly in Russia and the US. are no longer afraid of humans."

Perhaps it would not be a bad thing if bears took over the world from humans. After all, they have many admirable qualities:

1. Intelligence.  Bears have the largest brains, relative to their size, of any land mammal. They are as clever as apes and monkeys and cleverer than dogs. They show great ingenuity in breaking into dustbins and other containers to find food and elude hunters by covering their tracks and hiding behind trees and rocks. Bears carry a detailed map of their territory in their heads and can remember where different types of food are to be found as long as 10 years after their last visit.

2. Strength. Bears are estimated to be up to five times as strong as humans. They also run much faster, with a top speed of around 35mph, and are very good swimmers and climbers.  

3. Organisation. Although bears spend a lot of time on their own, they have a strong sense of community. They never lose track of each other, and sometimes help other members of the community find food. 

4. Patience. Bears are good at hunting, partly because they are happy to wait a long time for their prey. A polar bear will sit for hours beside a hole in the ice until a seal surfaces, or beside a river on the lookout for fish. 

5. Eco-friendliness. Bears are much closer to nature than humans and more attuned to climate change. By hibernatingSleeping through winter. they conserve energy and reduce the amount of food they consume.

Yes: Bears are highly intelligent and physically much stronger than we are. They are very adaptable, surviving in environments as varied as the Arctic and Asia, and do not wage war on each other.

No: Humans are much cleverer, and will always be able to dominate the animal kingdom as a result. Bears are more vulnerable to climate change than we are, and their habitats are shrinking all the time.

Or... We can learn a lot from bears without allowing them to take over. If we found a way of hibernating, for instance, we could massively reduce carbon emissions and live a more sustainable life.

Wrangel Island - Similar in size to Crete, it is the last place that woolly mammoths are known to have survived. They finally died out around 4,000 years ago.

Chukchi Sea - A remote area of the Russian Arctic.

Meteorological - Meteorology is the science of weather.

Lord Byron - An English poet (1788 - 1824) known for both beautiful short lyrics and entertaining epic poems.

Hokkaido - The second largest of the islands that make up Japan. It is mountainous and heavily forested.

Brown bears - Slightly smaller than polar bears, they are found mainly in Russia and the US.

Hibernating - Sleeping through winter.