A man from Fort Severn First Nation in northern Ontario is expected to recover fully after sustaining severe injuries while protecting his wife from a polar bear attack early Tuesday morning (December 3). The couple discovered the bear in their driveway, where it lunged at the woman. Her husband bravely leaped onto the bear to prevent the attack, according to the Nishnawbe Aski police service.
The man suffered serious injuries to his arms and legs during the struggle. A nearby neighbor heard the commotion and intervened by shooting the bear several times. The bear was later found dead in a wooded area by police responding to reports of gunshots.
Fort Severn is the northernmost community in Ontario, located on the southern shores of Hudson Bay, where polar bears are frequently seen. Despite an estimated 17,000 polar bears living in Canada, attacks are rare. However, experts warn that changing environmental conditions could lead to more unpredictable bear behavior, increasing the risk of human encounters.
Andrew Derocher, a biology professor at the University of Alberta, told The Guardian that polar bears' interactions with humans depend on various factors, including the bear's condition and environmental conditions. Well-fed bears typically pose less risk, but those stranded on land in poor conditions may seek food aggressively, leading to potential conflicts.
The current state of sea ice is crucial for polar bears' survival and their interactions with humans. Although the western Hudson Bay population had better-than-expected ice coverage over the summer, the winter hunting season's ice has not yet fully formed, leaving some bears roaming the land in search of food.