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A man was seriously injured after being attacked by a polar bear in Canada early Tuesday, police said.
“The man who jumped onto the polar bear to save his wife from being crushed is recovering from serious injuries to his arm and legs but is expected to make a full recovery,” said announcement published on social media Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.
The incident happened on Fort Severn First Nation. The small, far northern Ontario community is located near Hudson Bay.
The couple was looking for their dogs at 5 a.m. when they encountered the bear in their driveway. According to the statement, the bear lunged at the woman.
“The woman fell to the ground when her husband jumped on the animal to prevent it from attacking. The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life threatening injuries to his arm and legs,” police said.
During the attack, a neighbor came to the scene with a gun to save the couple and shot the bear several times.
Wounded and stunned, the bear headed for a nearby wooded area. Police later confirmed that the bear had died from its injuries.
Police said officers maintained patrols in the area to ensure there were no additional bears in the area.
Alysa McCall, Director of Conservation Outreach and Staff Scientist at Polar Bear International, told CBS News partner CBC that polar bears rarely attack humans. When an attack occurs, the bear is often hungry, young and unwell.
“A healthy polar bear on sea ice won’t have much incentive to attack a human,” McCall told CBC News.
McCall told the CBC climate change leads to temperature fluctuations in the ocean, which later affects how far inland the bears can go throughout the year.
“If you’re attacked by a polar bear, definitely don’t play dead — that’s a myth,” she told the CBC. “Fight as long as you can.”
