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20th May 2013

Wanted: One Polar Bear Spotter. Could You Do This Job?

Cool job or the worst job ever? We can't decide...

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We can’t decide if this would be a cool job or the worst job ever. Norway is currently looking for a polar bear spotter. Yep, you read that right: a polar bear spotter.

Metro reports that scientists located in Svalbard are looking for a polar bear spotter to join their team. As a polar bear spotter, you’ll be responsible for spotting the bears who occassionally like to stop by and say ‘hi’ to the scientists.

The successful applicant must be able to tell the difference between an actual polar bear and a pile of snow that’s shaped like a bear, so good vision is essential. Oh and you’ll also need to have a loud voice, so you can frighten any wayward polar bears away from the research site.

It’s not required but we imagine skills with a tranquiliser gun would also be super helpful (oh and it’d probably be great if you were a fast runner too. Y’know. Just in case).

Could you spot the difference between a drift of snow and a polar bear?

Anyway the position has become available after researchers who work at the location have noticed a sharp rise in the number of polar bears in the region. On last count, 3,000 polar bears were living on the islands that make up Svalbard. This is in stark comparison to the human population of 2,400 who live in the area.

They say there’s a perfect job out there for everyone but we think we’ll stick to writing…