A man in Canada’s far north leapt on to a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled, police say. The unnamed man suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover.
The incident occurred in Fort Severn First Nation, a small community of about 400 people in the far north of Ontario. The couple left their house at around 05:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday to find their dogs, when a bear, which was in the driveway of their home, lunged at the woman.
The woman slipped to the ground as her husband leapt on to the animal to prevent its attack, and the bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs. A neighbour arrived with a gun and shot the bear several times, and it retreated into nearby woods where it died of its injuries.
The man was transported to a community nursing station, where he was treated for his injuries. Nishnawbe Aski police said they continued to patrol the area to ensure no other bears were roaming the community.
Alysa McCall, a scientist at Polar Bear International, said that polar bears rarely attack humans, but when an attack does occur, the bear is often hungry, young and unwell. She stated that normally the bears are far from human settlements, instead preferring to spend their time at sea hunting ice seals. However, climate change has led to temperature fluctuations, breaking up ice and in some cases driving bears inland to look for food.
McCall emphasized that if you are attacked by a polar bear, do not play dead – that is a myth. Instead, fight as long as you can.
