Canada man jumps on polar bear to defend wife from
attack
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, according to the Nishnawbe Aski
Police Service.
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 incident happened in Fort Severn First Nation, a
small community of about 400 people in the far north of
Ontario.
"The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt on
to the animal to prevent its attack," police said in a
statement. "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. 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, told
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that polar
bears rarely attack humans.
When an attack occurs, the bear is often hungry, young
and unwell, she said.
Normally the bears are far from human settlements,
instead preferring to spend their time at sea hunting ice
seals. But climate change has led to temperature
fluctuations, breaking up ice and in some cases driving
bears inland to look for food.
"If you're attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play
dead — that is a myth," she told CBC. "Fight as long as
you can."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewx20xrgj5o
