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.

A polar bear was shot by police in a remote Icelandic village after it posed a threat to a resident. The incident has sparked discussions about Iceland's polar bear policy, which allows for the killing of bears deemed dangerous,

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.

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.

The bear approached a summer house, alarming the resident. An elderly woman was inside, frightened by the animal rummaging through her garbage.

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,

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)

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,