The visibly weak female bear lay despondently on the ground for hours in Norilsk in northern Siberia on Tuesday.
Its feet caked in mud, the bear occasionally rose to desperately sniff around for food on a garbage dump.
The weak bear lay on the ground despondently for hours
The polar bear is the first to be seen in the city in more than 40 years, according to local environmentalists.
Local wildlife expert Oleg Krashevsky, who filmed the polar bear close up, said it was unclear what had brought the animal to the city – far south of its normal hunting grounds.
The bear desperately searched for food on a garbage dump
He said the bear had watery eyes and could clearly not see well, and that local officials will now decide whether they can catch the animal and airlift it back to the north.
Emergency officials in the city of Norilsk warned residents about the bear.
The bear occasionally rose to sniff around the Siberian city
Environmentalists say wild animals are suffering from the shrinking hunting environment and receding ice as the Arctic gets warmer due to global warming, prompting some to venture south in search of food.
Compared with the rest of the world, the Arctic is warming twice as fast.
It is unclear whether the bear will be airlifted back to its natural habitat
State wildlife experts are expected to arrive in Norilsk on Wednesday to assess the bear’s condition.
Mr Kravesky said the bear might be too weak to be taken back to its natural habitat.
