Two polar bears killed a worker at a remote Arctic radar station in Canada’s northern Nunavut Territory, sparking an investigation into the rare fatal attack.
The unnamed employee worked for Nasittuq Corporation – a logistics company that operates radar defense sites on behalf of the Canadian government.
Other workers were on site and killed one of the bears, the company said in a statement.
“We are working closely with local authorities and regulators to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this incident,” the company said.
“The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority and we attach great importance to ensuring a safe working environment.”
The attack occurred last week on Brevoort Island, southeast of Baffin Island.
According to CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the United States, the site is one of dozens of North Warning System outposts in northern Canada.
The network, which stretches over 3,100 miles (5,000 km), is used to detect aircraft or missiles entering the region.
Polar bear attacks on humans are extremely rare, but this is at least the second recorded fatal incident related to a polar bear attack since 2023.
Last year, a woman and her one-year-old son were killed by a polar bear in an Alaskan village.
According to the Canadian government, there are about 17,000 polar bears living in the country – about two-thirds of the world population of this species.
The species is in decline and scientists attribute this to loss of sea ice caused by global warming, which is leading to a reduction in their hunting and breeding grounds.
Elsewhere on Sunday, a three-year-old girl in the US state of Montana was dragged from her tent at a private campground by a black bear.
Wildlife officials have set traps and euthanized a bear believed to have been involved in the attack.
Black bears are much smaller than polar bears, but can still be very dangerous to humans.
In 2023, a woman in California was fatally attacked and eaten in her home, marking the first black bear death in the state’s history.
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