Polar bears kill worker in remote Canadian Arctic
Fatal polar bear attacks are extremely rare, in large part because their Arctic habitat is not populated by many people.
Male Polar Bear, Bellott Strait, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada. (Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A worker at a radar station in the Canadian Arctic was killed last week in a rare attack by two polar bears, the Nasittuq Corporation, which operates the facility, said in a statement.
The victim, who was not identified by the company, was working at the remote station on Brevoort Island in Nunavut when the bears attacked on Aug. 8.
The company said employees responded to the scene and "one of the animals was put down."
"The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority, and we are deeply committed to ensuring a safe working environment. We are working closely with local authorities and regulatory agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident," the company said.
Fatal polar bear attacks are extremely rare, in large part because their Arctic habitat is not populated by many people. But polar bears, which depend on Arctic ice to access food, have faced starvation in recent years as they struggle to adapt to life on land, according to researchers.
A recent study suggests that the extinction of polar bears may come sooner than expected, due to changes in climate and food sources.
The most recent fatal polar bear attack occurred in January 2023, when 24-year-old Summer Myomick and her 1-year-old son Clyde were killed while walking in the remote Alaskan village of Wales. After mauling the mother and son, the bear reportedly chased multiple people before it was shot by a resident.
Reporting by TMX
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