Ontario Man Fights Off Polar Bear That Attacked Wife on Driveway

A file photo shows a young male polar bear in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, Manitoba. Reuters/Gloria Dickie

At a residence in the First Nation of Fort Severn, Ont., a couple’s encounter with a polar bear on their driveway turned violent, resulting in serious injury to the man and death for the bear.

The couple lives in Ontario’s most northerly community, where encounters with polar bears are not infrequent. They were leaving their home at 5 a.m. on Dec. 3 to look for their dogs when they found the polar bear on their driveway, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service said in a press release.

The bear lunged at the woman outside the couple’s home and she slipped to the ground. “Her husband leapt on to the animal to prevent its attack,” police said. “The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs.”

A neighbour carrying a firearm arrived at the home as the attack unfolded and shot the bear several times. The wounded animal retreated into a nearby wooded area and died from its injuries.

Police arrived at the scene to find the polar bear dead. They learned that the husband had been taken to a nursing station to have his injuries assessed and treated. Officers then carried out a patrol of the community to ensure no other polar bears were roaming in the area. Police did not release the names of the couple.

Earlier this year, in August, two polar bears attacked and killed a worker for the Nasittuq Corporation on a remote site on Brevoort Island, Nunavut.

“Nasittuq employees responded to the scene and one of the animals was put down,” the company wrote in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss.”

When faced with a polar bear attack, it is best to fight back, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “If deterrence/lethal efforts have failed and a polar bear attacks (makes physical contact), do not ‘play dead,’” the agency writes on its website. “Fight back using any deterrents available, aiming fists or objects at the bear’s nose and face.”