While polar bears are a protected species in Iceland and it's forbidden to kill one at sea, they can be killed if they pose a threat to humans.

A rare polar bear that was spotted outside a cottage in a remote village in Iceland was shot by police after being considered a threat, authorities said Friday.

Police shot a polar bear dead Thursday afternoon outside a cottage in a remote Icelandic village, according to multiple reports. Westfjords Police Chief Helgi Jensson told The Associated Press (AP) that his department consulted with the Environment Agency,

A rare polar bear that was spotted outside a cottage in a remote village in Iceland was shot by police after being considered a threat, authorities said.

A polar bear was spotted in Iceland for the first time since 2016—and was promptly shot dead by police. Police said they had no option but to kill the animal after consultations with environmental authorities.

This handout photo shows a polar bear that was shot by the police after being considered a threat to people nearby, authorities said, in Westfjords, Iceland, Thursday Sept. 19, 2024. The bear was shot near a summer home in the Westfjords in the north west tip of Iceland. (Ingvar Jakobsson via AP)

Polar bears aren’t native to Iceland, though an occasional vagrant arrives from Greenland. So, it was quite a surprise for an elderly resident of a remote village to find one raiding her bins. Panicked,

Although it appeared in sparsely populated areas, the decision to shoot it was made immediately out of fear of the threat it posed. A polar bear emerged in Iceland, where this species is practically non-existent.

In a rare and alarming incident, a polar bear was spotted in Iceland after an eight-year absence, prompting immediate action from local authorities. The bear was found near a summer cottage in the Westfjords region,