Iconic animals...
Polar Bears in Svalbard
Is there a more iconic animal right now than the majestic polar bear? Hijacked as the ultimate symbol of the global warming doom-mongers, Ursus Maritimus has graced the cover of Vanity Fair being cuddled by an Oscar winning (and terribly worthy) actor, and played a starring role in the awesomely good recent Frozen Planet BBC series.
Bears outnumber people
So where to see this icon in its natural habitat? Well one place that's (relatively) close to home is the Norwegian Arctic outpost of Svalbard, where man and bear came into such tragic contact earlier this year. Actively seeking out bears in Svalbard is illegal (which the group in question were categorically not doing), but with the polar population outnumbering the human one, sightings are likely, and completely compelling.
