The scene of the attack is a remote wilderness popular with adventurers and researchers A polar bear has mauled a young British tourist to death and seriously injured four others in a remote area of Norway, according to the country's state media.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation reported that they were tourists with the British Schools Exploring Society. The governor's office in Svalbard district confirmed four people were in hospital and the bear had been killed.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed its embassy in Oslo is "urgently" looking into the reports.
Wilderness The attack at Von Postbreen, about 25 miles (40km) from Longyearbyen, took place early on Friday.
Polar bears are, along with the grizzly bears of Kodiak Island, Alaska, the largest living predators on land. They are also considered to be one of the few wild species that will actively hunt humans.
However, the chance to do so occurs rarely, due to the extreme isolation of their Arctic habitat.
Adult polar bears spend most of their lives alone, ranging over a vast icy landscape, using their acute sense of smell to locate their favoured prey of blubber-rich seals, whales and walruses.
If needs must, they will, like many bears, adapt their behaviour; polar bears have been seen feasting on goose eggs, while one bear has been recorded undertaking an epic nine-day swim to reach new feeding grounds.
As climate change reduces ice cover, there are concerns that more polar bears will become displaced and will move further inland to seek food, bringing them into contact with more people.
However, the chance to do so occurs rarely, due to the extreme isolation of their Arctic habitat.
Adult polar bears spend most of their lives alone, ranging over a vast icy landscape, using their acute sense of smell to locate their favoured prey of blubber-rich seals, whales and walruses.
If needs must, they will, like many bears, adapt their behaviour; polar bears have been seen feasting on goose eggs, while one bear has been recorded undertaking an epic nine-day swim to reach new feeding grounds.
As climate change reduces ice cover, there are concerns that more polar bears will become displaced and will move further inland to seek food, bringing them into contact with more people.
Four people injured in the mauling were flown to Longyearbyen hospital and are due to be airlifted to a hospital in Tromsoe, the governor's office spokeswoman said.
"We got a call via satellite phone from a British group of campers that there had been a polar bear attack and that one person was dead and that others were injured and they needed assistance," she said."There are no roads in the area of the Von Postbreen glacier where the incident happened so we scrambled a helicopter."
The British Schools Exploring Society's (BSES) head office in London would not confirm that they were involved, but said their chairman would make a statement later.
BSES Expeditions is a youth development charity that organises scientific expeditions to remote areas to develop teamwork and a spirit of adventure.
It was founded in 1932 by a member of Captain Scott's final Antarctic expedition of 1910-13.
The Svalbard governor's office spokeswoman said the attack took place in a remote wilderness popular with tourists, researchers and adventurers.
She also urged those worried about their relatives to call 0047 7902 4305 or 0047 7902 4302.
Polar bears are one of the largest land carnivores, reaching up to 8ft (2.5m) and weighing 800kg (125st).
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