Two polar bears attack Canadian worker fatally in Canada’s Arctic region

In a rare tragic incident, two polar bears fatally attacked a worker at a remote radar site in the Arctic region of Canada. The increasing number of fatal polar bear attacks in recent years has prompted an investigation into these events.

The incident which took place on Brevoort Island, in Canada’s far-northeastern territory of Nunavut, was confirmed by Nasittuq Corporation, the logistics company operating and managing the Canadian government radar sites. One of the bears was put down by other workers who responded to the scene.

“An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our valued employees,” the company said Friday, as reported by CBS News.

“Safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority,” the company said. “We are working closely with local authorities and regulatory agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident,” it added.

This incident was at least the second since the past year, where a polar bear attack resulted in a death. 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss,” the company said.

In 2023, a woman and her one-year-old son were killed after a polar bear chased the residents of a small village in Alaska, making it the first fatal polar bear attack in 30 years.

According to the Canadian government, Canada is home to over 17,000 polar bears, about two-thirds of the total population in the world. The United States has classified them as a threatened species. Global warming and the melting of sea ice are dangerous to their population.

According to a 2017 research, there have been about 73 polar bear attacks reported across Canada, the United States, Norway, Greenland, and Russia from 1870 till 2014, 20 of them being fatal.

(With inputs from agencies)