I got a surprise phone call this morning. The message astounded me to such an extent that I asked the caller to repeat the message … twice.
Sylvia Borin had been walking down to her boat moored at Morston Quay early this morning just as the sun was rising. Swimming in from the sea up the main channel was what she initially thought was some sort of odd cetacean or seal. Her jaw dropped as a Polar Bear climbed out of the water and shook itself free of the North Sea. She immediately called me and then the police. What ensued was undoubtedly the fastest drive along the North Norfolk Coast I have ever undertaken. Arriving just before the authorities I managed one or two distant photographs before, despite pleading, the animal was shot for ‘safety reasons’ by police marksmen.
It is a well-known fact that as population sizes decrease individuals of any species have a tendency to wander further from their home territory. Odd Polar Bears have occurred in Iceland before now. These animals are capable of long sea crossings but one in Norfolk is unprecedented. We can only speculate where the bear originated but the population in Svalbard seems likely.
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Letter From Norfolk 