Russian Bears Trap Geology Survey Crew

23 July 2008By Alexei DovbyshVLADIVOSTOK, Primorye Region -- At least 30 hungry bears have trapped a group of geologists at their remote survey site in the Far East after killing two of their co-workers last week, emergency officials said Tuesday.

The team of geologists on the seismically active Kamchatka Peninsula refused to leave their camp after the bears showed up, a press spokesman for the Kamchatka branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

"In the interests of safety, they didn't come out to work -- the people are scared by the invasion of bears," the spokesman said.

A bear killed two geologists at the work site on Friday, officials said.

Officials on Kamchatka said that this year was remarkable for either too many bears or not enough fish.

"Either way, there is not enough food," the spokesman said.

Rampant fish poaching in the tundra sends hungry bears, attracted to the garbage humans leave behind, into populated centers every year.

Officials said a helicopter ferrying officials and hunters could not fly in bad weather, but an all-terrain vehicle was on its way to the camp, where it would await government approval to shoot the bears.