Polar bear steals tripod

A polar bear protecting its privacy ran off with a photographer's tripod as a group took pictures in the Arctic. Peter Haworth, from Bristol, was with a group of Americans taking pictures of three polar bears at Kaktovik, on Barter Island off Alaska.

One of the bears then began to run towards the group and they fled to the safety of their truck, leaving three tripods standing on the ice. Mr Haworth continued to take pictures as the bear knocked down two of the tripods before running off with a third which it took to another bear in the group.



Mr Haworth added: "It was a great surprise when one bear picked up the tripod. When he walked off with it we couldn't stop laughing and joking as he had selected the most expensive. The tripod was a top of the range Gitsu carbon fibre. The legs were marked but the tripod ball head was badly damaged.

"The owner, a woman on the trip, sent it back to the manufacturer for repair. He seemed to handle the tripod very well for a bear. Perhaps he thought of himself as a photographer or just didn't want his picture taken."