It was a long journey. Most likely driven by hunger, the emaciated polar bear had strayed far from its natural habitat before reaching the Russian city of Norilsk.

The city, a nickel-mining center with a population of about 175,000, is just inside the Arctic Circle. But residents of Norilsk had not seen a polar bear so far south in about four decades, according to local reports. Trudging along on mud-blackened paws that contrasted with the still-white fur across its back, the bear was seen this week roaming rusty scrap yards, concrete housing developments and even in the city center.

The bear would normally be in the Kara Sea area, north of the Siberian coast, some 300 miles from Norilsk. But the ravages of climate change have taken their toll on the animals, which depend on sea ice to survive.

Dmitry Gorshkov, head of biodiversity at the World Wildlife Fund’s Russia office, said polar bears were sometimes forced to take desperate gambles.