Kuujjuaq resident Shanna Gordon says her father, Thomas Shea, shown here, shot and killed the polar bear that was seen roaming around the town on Tuesday evening. (Photo credit of Shanna Gordon)
Polar bear shot and killed in Kuujjuaq; health board issues warning
Videos, photos show bear near homes in the community
A polar bear was spotted and killed in downtown Kuujjuaq on Tuesday evening, prompting the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services to warn residents to be on the alert.
First reports of the bear spotted roaming through the town began showing up on social media shortly after 5 p.m. and by 5:45 p.m. a photo of a hunter with the dead bear had been posted.
Later, Mayor Mary Johannes made an announcement on the local FM radio station warning more polar bears could still be roaming around the town.
In a Facebook post at about 8 p.m. Tuesday that included a photo of a polar bear walking several metres from nearby homes, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services said “we are asking Kuujjuammiut to be extra vigilant this evening and in the coming hours, when travelling in the village and on the territory.”
The post noted the young bear had been shot and that no one had been injured in the incident.
Numerous photos and videos posted to social media from Kuujjuaq Tuesday night show Nunavik Police Service officers patrolling the streets of the community.
The situation is still unfolding, more information to come.
The Nunavik police service motivated to patrol the streets of kuujjuaq. A polar bear behind a motivation. What an embarrassment to the force and to the people of kuujjuaq. Did anyone notice the NPS, them side arm carrying cowboys, did they get a shot in the last minute. Just to fire their guns.? The hunters and trappers or designated hunters should discuss this situation for a better plan next time should a polar bear or any other threat from an animal that’s usually hunted , keep the cowboys, patrolling the streets, but not involved in animal management and animal threats. They have something now to tell mom down south. Facebook friends of the NPS, going be busy. Wake up chief.
Bad boys! What you gonna do when they come for you? Bad boy Bad boy. Tell me whatchu gon do? Bad boy Bad boy. Tell me, whatchu gon do?
Going to call polar bear busters, NPS , they go come in numbers, take time away from being alcohol and drug busters, to deal with it. Goin called them too when caribou hunt time, they go come or go far to bring meat, Thry will soon have to help us hunt. They going to be careful.
If a polar bear comes towards me , I’ll shoot it between the eyes.
Dude, you don’t know what you’re talking about. NPS/KRPF have dealt with polar bears for years.
Most of the time they pass through town uneventfully, sometimes they’ve caused problems, like in Kuujjiaraapik when a juvenile broke a front door off its hinges, or in Quaqtaq, when an officer deterred a bear attack by shooting a bear 14 times. I know because a bear was later shot in Iqaluit, and the hunter wondered who the bad shot was. It was Dave. He was actually a good shot that day. Lol.
From one video, the moment that the bear was shot by Shea the hunter, the police can be heard speaking to him in an intimidating way, as can be heard, saying you with the rifle be careful, as though, the hunter was just viewed jealously by the police as someone who had a privilege to do the shooting, but not without the words uttered in a very disconcerting, disrespectful way. And appears police did fire shots, looks like just to do it. Keep the police out of the way next time, it’s a community of hunters that know best , the NPS should not be mandated in situations like this. They are unqualified to say the least. There lots of police work in the community that they would be better to deal with.
We don t seem to have much love or respect for our cops .
People cops including must earn respect. I grew up having RCMP, and in my day , they were us, part of the community. In Nunavik, maybe Nunavut too, I’m not sure, but respect is all but gone. Too many idiots are allowed to get on the team, making it a disrespectful service to all good police. Nunavik has too many idiots on the team For sure. How do you respect them that allow our roads to be run by drunk drivers, our kids exposed to drugs, in such a small population, and they don’t do much , except bust once in awhile, while Susie is upset with Johnny , and tells the police about the drugs, which make them display their catch on the news. It takes a polar bear to get them out , and they’re not competent, just a leaving a wake of don’t care to the population. They do nothing good for Nunavik. A bunch of strange beings doing nothing good.
It is becoming more common occurrence for the Police services on Inuit Land to shoot down the Polar Bears that comes into the close vicinity of the community, Last summer I was home for couple of weeks, The RCMP shot down a polar bear with their department issued C8….Which is a 5.56 NATO round, equivalent to .223 Remington rounds….The RCMP shot the polar bear with several rounds then just leaves it and goes knocking on the neighbors door and asks them if they can go and cut up the polar bear and distribute it to the community.
I feel like the Department of Environment with their Conservation Officers should stomp their boots to ground and tell these RCMP, Criminal Law Enforcement Officers to stick to their role and leave the killing of the Polar Bears to the Conservation Officers or to the Local HTO Members to deal with this.
I rather have an experience hunter take care of a polar bear, not the NPS. It’s experience or it’s rookie inexperience, think about it. I’m concerned really that these rookie inexperience, are even playing a role in this. It’s dangerous to even consider. For the safety of people, they must not be allowed to intervene. Personal I wouldn’t call them for the most dire situation. You never get hold of them any when really needed for protection, like someone in south answers in poor English like they’re from another planet.
Police Enforcing Threat of Animals in NQ, Meanwhile in Nunavut, People Eating Tasty Animals. It is HTAs who chase away or kill polar bears,