Polar bear injures 3 near Sanirajak
1 man and 2 women medevaced; police say all expected to survive
Three hunters survived a weekend ordeal after a walrus tipped over their boat off Sanirajak. (Image courtesy of Julie Lockau/Google maps)
Nunavut police say a man and two women are victims of a polar-bear attack just outside of Sanirajak.
RCMP officers in the community received reports of the attack around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday just south of the Baffin community near the former Distant Early Warning line, where some cabins are located.
Police said while en route to the site, a motorist told them the trio had already been taken to the community’s health centre.
The man was medevaced to Ottawa for treatment, while the women were sent to hospital in Iqaluit.
“Although badly injured, they are expected to recover from their injuries,” states a news release the RCMP.
A polar bear was found dead by some cabins in the area. It has since been picked up by a local wildlife officer and transported to the local wildlife office. Police did not indicate how the bear died.
This week’s incident is the first serious attack reported in the territory since the summer 2018, when two Nunavut men died in separate attacks.
An Arviat man was mauled to death by a bear outside of that community in July 2018. In August 2018, three hunters were attacked by a bear outside of Naujaat, and one man died from his injuries.
We humans are to blame for the majority of the Polar Bear attacks. Polar Bears have personality just like us humans do, and you aggravate a Bear enough, then he/she will have a hate for humans to the point it will attack. Great job humans!!!!
It reads like the bear was near their cabins. How is that provoking a bear?
Let the injured tell their experience, don’t generalize or make assumptions.
So just because the attack happen close to there cabin, that bear had never encountered human? You have no idea how many Polar Bears are chased away at any of the Mines, also researchers all around Nunavut. Another typical “Mr. Know it” all
We are the natural prey of bears. Why would you assume the bear was provoked? Would you provoke something that naturally hunts us? That would be silly.
Dude town said Would you provoke something that naturally hunts us? That would be silly.
Sadly every time a bear goes close to any mining, research or any work being done up here in the north, the are scared away without second thoughts, and they creates a problem.
We humans are to blame for the greater numbers of attacks.
How about we start calling them Solar Bears.