You might think a human would have more cause for being afraid of a bear than the other way round, but a tour guide in Norway has been fined £1,160 for scaring a polar bear in its natural habitat.

Whilst travelling on snowmobiles on a tour round the archipelago of Svalbard, the group spotted the polar bear about 3,000 feet away.

Hoping to give his group a closer look at the bear, the guide decided they should move nearer.

After all, it’s not everyday you see a polar bear. And if you’ve set out on an expedition known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra, where polar bears, Arctic foxes and reindeer live, you’re going to want to get a good look.

However all did not go smoothly.

As the group moved closer, the polar bear was frightened and so ran away.

You’d think this was all a harmless experience, but that’s not how it’s seen in Norwegian law.

The tour guide’s actions cost him NOK 12,000 (£1,160) as a result of Svalbard’s strict laws.

“The regulations specifically state that it is forbidden to approach polar bears in such a way that they are disturbed, regardless of the distance,” the Svalbard governor’s office told Norwegian TV channel TV2.

A Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, Svalbard is halfway between mainland Europe and the North Pole. The land has been left largely untouched, with two-thirds of the archipelago being covered by national parks and nature reserves.

Only 2,145 people live there, however Svalbard is home to some 1,000 polar bears.

The bears are considered to be the symbol of Svarsbard and have been a protected species since 1973.