Watch: Viral video captures man escaping charging polar bear in Arctic ghost town

An intense video shot in the deserted Arctic town of Pyramiden, in Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, has gone viral online, depicting a scene wherein a person can be seen running away from a polar bear that charges towards him and then escaping just in time using his snowmobile before the bear gets a hold of him.The video, which apparently was shot by a photographer and traveller @rebeccabaack, depicts the incident occurring in Pyramiden, an abandoned Soviet mining town found within the Arctic Circle region. The footage features a man who can be seen running towards his snowmobile while being chased by a polar bear that comes charging towards him at a very fast pace, and he succeeds in running away.Unlike many other places across the globe, meeting with a polar bear is a real possibility in Svalbard, a remote territory of Norway that lies north of mainland Europe and even closer to the North Pole.

Pyramiden, the setting of the video, is yet another factor that makes this location interesting. Originally founded in the early 20th century by Sweden, it later came under Soviet control. It used to be a lively community that mined coal. However, due to the fall of the Soviet Union and decreasing mining, Pyramiden was abandoned in 1998 and now serves as a tourist spot for people who love abandoned settlements, the cold war era, and the Arctic region.

A series of Soviet-style apartments, a cultural center, as well as statues, make this place seem like one of the world's most unusual ghost towns. However, even though Pyramiden became popular with adventurous tourists, it is located in an area inhabited by polar bears.Polar bears belong to the largest land carnivorous mammals and can weigh several hundred kilos, with some weighing up to 700 kilos. These bears live in one of the coldest regions in the world and spend most of their lives hunting seals on sea ice.

For this reason, scientists consider polar bears marine mammals since their existence is tightly connected with the marine environment. Polar bears spend plenty of time on sea ice to hunt on seals and may cover considerable distances by swimming from one ice floe to another. These animals are well-insulated with thick fur and layers of fats, while their dark skin beneath the fur helps absorb heat from the sun.These animals are very fast runners that can easily run faster than a human being does, regardless of whether they are running on the snow, ice or ground.

Therefore, the wildlife service always recommends keeping a safe distance from them and doing everything possible not to cause a situation when they attack people.This video about Pyramiden shows how real travelling in one of the last truly untouched parts of the planet looks like. Travelling to such places as Svalbard gives a lot of unique chances to explore this region with its glaciers and unique wildlife, but it also requires much preparation.