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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/16/svalbard-job-vacancy-polar-bear-spotter
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| Svalbard job vacancy: polar bear spotter wanted | Svalbard job vacancy: polar bear spotter wanted |
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| Fancy working in the great outdoors? Good with animals? Ready to run for your life? Then Norway has just the job for you. | Fancy working in the great outdoors? Good with animals? Ready to run for your life? Then Norway has just the job for you. |
| Odd Olsen Ingerø, the governor of Svalbard, is on the hunt for a polar bear spotter to stand guard while researchers carry out work on the islands. | Odd Olsen Ingerø, the governor of Svalbard, is on the hunt for a polar bear spotter to stand guard while researchers carry out work on the islands. |
| An untouched, Arctic wilderness, the remote archipelago between Norway and the north pole is one of the few places in the world where the polar bear population is actually growing. And with 3,000 bears and just 2,400 human inhabitants, the odds aren't great for anyone venturing outside the designated settlements. | An untouched, Arctic wilderness, the remote archipelago between Norway and the north pole is one of the few places in the world where the polar bear population is actually growing. And with 3,000 bears and just 2,400 human inhabitants, the odds aren't great for anyone venturing outside the designated settlements. |
| The government's official travel guide instructs visitors (pdf) to take precautions: "For protection from polar bears, a rifle calibre .308 Win [Winchester] or higher, is recommended – for even brief trips." Any tourists still brave enough to book a break to the region are cheered on with the upbeat slogan: "BOW TO THE FORCES OF NATURE IN SVALBARD … We wish you an enjoyable and safe stay." | The government's official travel guide instructs visitors (pdf) to take precautions: "For protection from polar bears, a rifle calibre .308 Win [Winchester] or higher, is recommended – for even brief trips." Any tourists still brave enough to book a break to the region are cheered on with the upbeat slogan: "BOW TO THE FORCES OF NATURE IN SVALBARD … We wish you an enjoyable and safe stay." |
| It's little wonder that researchers conducting fieldwork in the region are keen for someone to watch their backs and the governor's office has advertised for a bear spotter to on a three-week posting, starting on 8 July. | It's little wonder that researchers conducting fieldwork in the region are keen for someone to watch their backs and the governor's office has advertised for a bear spotter to on a three-week posting, starting on 8 July. |
| Although firearms skills are desirable, the governor's office insists that the polar bear spotter should not need to use a gun "as long as they have a loud voice" to frighten off any bears. "Flare guns can also be very effective, as well as banging together pots and pans to make a lot of sound," Guri Tveito, Svalbard's head of department for environment protection, told the Guardian. | Although firearms skills are desirable, the governor's office insists that the polar bear spotter should not need to use a gun "as long as they have a loud voice" to frighten off any bears. "Flare guns can also be very effective, as well as banging together pots and pans to make a lot of sound," Guri Tveito, Svalbard's head of department for environment protection, told the Guardian. |
| The successful applicant can look forward to a summer of semi-permanent fog, temperatures ranging from below zero to a balmy 6C and limited communication with the outside world. Mobile phone reception is only available in the settlements of Longyearbyen, Sveagruva and Barentsburg at present – just another reason why a loud voice will come in handy. | The successful applicant can look forward to a summer of semi-permanent fog, temperatures ranging from below zero to a balmy 6C and limited communication with the outside world. Mobile phone reception is only available in the settlements of Longyearbyen, Sveagruva and Barentsburg at present – just another reason why a loud voice will come in handy. |
| Only those with strong lungs need apply. | Only those with strong lungs need apply. |
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