Russia’s Kolyuchin Island is home to a Soviet weather station that’s been abandoned since 1992, but when wildlife photographer Dmitry Kokh stopped off there in 2021, some new tenants had moved in. “The fog, a place long deserted by people, polar bears – it was the perfect setting,” he says.

Kokh – who has also shot dolphins, crocs and boars – documented the 20 or so animals exploring the building, using a low-noise drone to keep at a safe distance and avoid disturbing them. He says the bears never let the device out of their sight as they checked every nook and cranny of the abandoned station. “I think these images of the polar bears on Kolyuchin Island are very timely – they are like snapshots of a premonition reflecting what could be in our not-so-distant future,” he adds.

dmitrykokh.com