Are there polar bears in Alaska?

Warning: The following post contains spoilers pertaining to Stranger Things season 4. If you have not yet watched the series, please proceed with caution as there are spoilers ahead! 

A new season of Stranger Things has finally arrived on Netflix and the season wastes no time in diving right into the action and furthering the plot points left unresolved in season 3.

Chief among them is the mystery revolving Hopper’s fate. While many believe he perished during the final battle in season 3, Joyce continues to keep the faith which is why when a Russian Doll arrives she’s immediately convinced it’s from Hopper.

Her suspicions prove to be correct when she breaks the doll open and discovered a cryptic note. One thing leads to another and before long, Joyce and Murray are making their way to Alaska to meet up with a contact who is said to be able to help them bring Hopper home safely.

Upon arriving in Alaska to meet their contact, Yuri, they come in contact with a mysterious man who tells them they’re a day too late. According to the man, Yuri was attacked by some polar bears and perished from the attack.

He then laughs it off by revealing he was just joking and introduces himself as Yuri. Things quickly spiral from there, but if you’ve made it to this post chances are Yuri’s story about being attacked by polar bears made you question whether the artic bears actually reside in the snowy state of Alaska.

Stranger Things season 4 makes a reference to polar bears being located in Alaska, but are there really polar bears in Alaska?

Polar bears can indeed be found in Alaska! According to the National Park Service, polar bears are one of a handful of different breeds of bears you’ll find in Alaska. In addition to polar bears, the state is also home to black bears, brown bears and grizzly bears.

So when Yuri jokes he was attacked by polar bears, it’s something that could have indeed happened and was not an outlandish remark!

Stranger Things season 4 is streaming now on Netflix.